Struggling writer Sashi (Masatoshi Nagase) is contacted by famed film producer Fujiyama (Hosei Komatsu), who offers him a large sum of money to write a screenplay for his upcoming film. Overjoyed at his sudden reversal of fortune, Sashi sets off to scout the locations Fujiyama wants him to see for the film. However, things take a bizarre turn as Sashi runs into a sequence of unusual characters and unexpected situations.
Directed by Hideaki Sunaga, from a screenplay by Norio Kida and Naoki Kubo, “Getting Wild with our Monkey” sees its protagonist on a peculiar odyssey as he attempts to follow through on his promise to his benefactor. The plot is engaging in as much as you never know where his journey is going to lead Sashi next; finding himself repeatedly at the mercy of others. The comedy is often subtle, revolving around the situations Sashi finds himself in and his bemusement at his fate. Unfortunately, many of these scenarios fail to develop into something truly hilarious, instead remaining as amusing diversions. It is clear early on that things are not going to go as planned for Sashi and we follow him through his various travails until the idea that he will ever complete the screenplay he was hired for disappears entirely. One of the most entertaining sections is his brief stay with Tajima (Minoru Torihada), whose unhinged performance captures both the comedy and danger of Sashi’s predicament.
As inexplicable as many of the situations are in the film, there nevertheless appears to be a thematic depth that centres on religious beliefs about life and the human experience. There is reference to a giant Buddha, that is cast in black and white, symbolising the light and dark of human experience; there is also the final moments of the film in which Sashi repeats the names of Hindu deities Shiva and Kali, the latter being the god of time and death. Sashi’s journey, guided along by the promise of worldly riches takes him through danger and dissatisfaction, until he emerges at the end, working in a café, still awaiting the arrival of the man who promised him a release from his struggles. In this way the film can be seen as a metaphor for human endeavour, chasing the wrong goals of wealth and success, while failing to appreciate the richness of life itself. “Getting Wild with our Monkey” is a fun diversion to life that in its peculiarity raises questions about what we are truly living for.
