A collection of surreal shorts, including dance routines, animated segments, nonsensical comedy skits, aliens, canine film directors and more. Throughout a two-hour run time the audience is assaulted with an eclectic, stream-of-consciousness, merry-go-round of drama, slapstick, puerile jokes involving bodily functions, dadaist segments in which you begin to wonder whether this is intended to entertain or frustrate you, and parts which defy explanation entirely. The film will occasionally tease you with a recurring character, a common theme or concept mentioned in different scenes, but on the whole it is fascinatingly, even hypnotically, anarchic.
The film was written and directed by Katsuhiro Ishii, Hajimine Ishimine and Shunichiro Miki, who obviously delight in completely bamboozling their audience. Although the film might be accurately described as unconventional, there is undeniable talent on show here. Each segment does have at least a few clever ideas, and they know how to provoke a response when necessary. With each segment being short, there is also the chance that if you are not enjoying one, there will be something else that you will like. The film features a large cast, including some well known actors such as Rinko Kikuchi and Tadanobu Asano, as well as Evangelion director Hideaki Anno (some of whom appear in multiple roles).
The film should be enjoyed as a collection of short sketches, more akin to a variety show, than a traditional beginning-to-end story. Ridiculous as much of it is, I felt that it was far from meaningless. It does what great art should and provokes you, it provokes you to wonder what is happening, perhaps even offering you a perspective on life that you may not have considered. It is certainly one of the weirdest films you will ever watch, and I would recommend that you give it a try, especially if you are a fan of surrealist comedy. It is an experience that you are not likely to forget in a hurry.
