Ichi the Killer

There is a useful directness to Ichi the Killer, a comedy shaped by Takashi Miike with a firm understanding of its audience. In Ichi the Killer, Tadanobu Asano provides the anchor while Nao Ômori introduces a contrasting energy. Without revealing later complications, Ichi the Killer opens from this situation: As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving. The resulting its 2h 9m running time feels most convincing whenever Ichi the Killer trusts behaviour more than explanation.

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The acting in Ichi the Killer is anchored by Tadanobu Asano, who treats even functional scenes as opportunities to reveal character. Nao Ômori answers that approach with a different energy, giving Ichi the Killer welcome friction whenever the pace begins to settle. Around them, Shin'ya Tsukamoto helps Ichi the Killer feel like an ensemble piece rather than a vehicle with decorative support. Under Takashi Miike, the performances in Ichi the Killer share a tone even when the writing gives them unequal depth.

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Ichi the Killer gains much of its identity from comic timing built around character, a choice that makes the world readable as well as attractive. The contribution of Omega Project allows Ichi the Killer to combine comic timing built around character with a consistent visual language. Within its Japan setting, Ichi the Killer makes particularly good use of well judged reactions when the story needs to change scale. Sound and editing preserve the personality of Ichi the Killer by supporting detail instead of announcing every intended response.

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Rather than summarise every event in Ichi the Killer, it is enough to note how Kakihara places Ichi under growing pressure. Tadanobu Asano gives that tension a face, which stops Ichi the Killer from becoming a mechanical sequence of developments. Sakichi Sato uses the central character to widen the stakes of Ichi the Killer without losing sight of the original problem. Where an important relationship becomes predictable, Ichi the Killer recovers interest through the consequences surrounding it.

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As director of Ichi the Killer, Takashi Miike proves alive in individual scenes and uncertain between them in the transitions between intimate material and larger demands. A strong scene in Ichi the Killer often begins with a modest detail before Takashi Miike lets its meaning expand. For Ichi the Killer, the cast and craft keep the experience watchable because the central tone remains visible even during busy passages. The weakness in Ichi the Killer is that too many scenes explain effects the actors have already suggested, although Takashi Miike usually finds the original rhythm again.

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Ichi the Killer uses its comedy framework to consider embarrassment, status and the gap between confidence and reality. For the character played by Tadanobu Asano, that idea gives Ichi the Killer stakes beyond the next immediate obstacle. The recurring pressure of Ichi prevents the theme in Ichi the Killer from feeling like decoration added after the story. Takashi Miike makes Ichi the Killer more thoughtful whenever the implications remain inside action and reaction.

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For comedy fans who respond to personality and timing, Ichi the Killer is ultimately an uneven film with enough personality to remain interesting. Its most persuasive combination in Ichi the Killer brings Tadanobu Asano together with well judged reactions under the direction of Takashi Miike. The fact that too many scenes explain effects the actors have already suggested prevents Ichi the Killer from being entirely seamless. Even with that reservation, Ichi the Killer has a clear point of view and enough genuine feeling to justify the journey.