Amazon.com: If you want the full sledgehammer-to-the-stomach effect of Audition, stop reading this review now. Just watch it and take the consequences. At first glance, Takashi Miike's jack in the box of a movie works like a romantic comedy: amiable widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) decides it's time to find a new wife, and a friend suggests holding a fake audition to find the right girl. It soon becomes clear that there is something wrong with Aoyama's choice. This is no ordinary Fatal Attraction-style thriller, however; Audition slowly and carefully builds into a wrenching exploration of both deep male fears and the stereotype of the cute, submissive Japanese woman. Audition is by no means an easy movie to watch--even hardcore horror fans may have trouble--but it will stay with you for a long, long time. --Ali Davis
A MUST OWN, MUST BUY, GET IT NOW TYPE OF FILM AUDITION
If there ever was a movie that I would no doubt say is one of the best movies ever if I was asked this would be it, in fact I would say that this is in the top 10. To those who have yet to see this film know now that you are in for a ride that you will never forget. J-Horror has become a very popular thing here in the states lately but let me say that these American remakes are nothing compared to the real deal productions from Asia. If America ever tries to remake this I may boycott what ever studio is doing it, I like this film that much. Also let me say J-Horror, K-Horror and any kind of name for a horror film from a country not your own is ridicules, I do not hear anyone here in America calling American horror films A-Horror so why can't it all be .............. HORROR. With that being said [been waiting to get that out] "Audition" is one of those films that just sneaks up on you, in fact if you have never seen this stop reading now and put it in, surprise awaits you.
Shigeharu Aoyama played masterfully by Ryo Ishibashi is a very lonely man looking to get back out there after coming to terms with his wife's death. His best friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa [Jun Kunimura] convinces him that having an audition for a film would be the best way to meet some women and learn a little about them. Aoyama who only has the company of his son who obviously has more to do then hang with his father eventually agrees and off the two go. It is in these interviews that a beautiful young woman named Asami Yamazaki [Eihi Shiina] walks into the room and into Aoyama life. Little did Yoshikawa know that his friend had already chosen this girl long before she auditioned. The two hit it off or so it seems because both are unsure about the other and wait for the other to make a move or call. A relationship starts to blossom despite warnings from Yoshikawa and a good movie is well on its way.
Or at least one would think so if they only made it that far, because other then a scene involving Asami and a bag in the back ground this seems more like a romantic comedy [see the scene were the two friends are talking at a bar, and the audition scenes] then a horror film. To be honest, even though it seems that way it actually was working as such and would have been just as good staying that way [did that make sense], but man that throws you off for what is to come. The last 20 to 30 minutes of this film are some of the hardest things to sit threw and watch, honestly it really is. I think because the film built it's self up and seemed like such a different film, the last part of this film is heightened and these scenes seem a lot harder to view because of that. If I could describe what happens in this film to you in these written words I would. But the atmosphere and emotion add so much to the scenes that it is pretty much impossible to really convey to you how powerful they are. I hope I am not hyping these scenes up to a point that will eventually disappoint you, but I really feel that this film is a classic. Also i won't give away what happens here because you must see them for your self, trust me.
Ryo Ishibashi plays the role of the lonely single father very well and is more then believable as such, in fact he is so good at it that you actually feel horrible about what happens to his character [even though you learn a few bad things about him]. Ryo has a certain boyish charm about his character that shines threw the screen and really plays it well with the female characters. Jun Kunimura who plays his best friend is just as good as the confident yet distrusting best friend, his character actually calls out the female leads shaky background to Ryo. His character is a successful and some what cocky guy who comes up with the plan for his friend to meet women, he was very right about the girl. Speaking of which Eihi Shiina is downright evil in this film and portrays her self very differently so well throughout the first 3rd of the film. Her performance is hauntingly brilliant as it is so believable and really every guys worst fear about women, which is what this film is all about. She is at times a sweet and innocent girl and a strong but giving woman at another, but towards the end she is extremely warped and sick. The thing that makes her performance so good is that she slips in and out of all these emotions of the character with such ease that you think she is really like that, she is that character. Another thing about her performance is that during those horrific torture scenes when you look into her eyes there is no emotion there, I mean the character has no emotion not the actress.
Director Takashi Miike helmed in my opinion one of the greatest films ever made regardless of what country this film was made in, like I said this is not J-Horror or A-Horror it is straight up horror. Although one could argue that Miike did not create a horror film in that he really crafted a human study and hardcore tension film. Of course screenwriter Daisuke Tengan must get some credit as he pinned this wonderful film from a great novel by Ryû Murakami. Both the book and the screenplay are wonderful works of art, man I hope I am not over doing this review with praise. But with that said I can't find anything wrong with this film, some say it is slow but I think the pace is the perfect build for the last 3rd of the film. But all of the film before that is a wonderful film in its own right and really deserves that credit, plus it is the perfect build for the end.
I hope that I did not over do this film with praise or hyped it so much that you will go in with expectations that could never be matched but I really believe this film is worth your time. Ask almost any one [a few poor souls actually don't get this film] who has seen this film what they think about it and I bet they say it was great. Some people I know will never watch it again because of the last part of this film in. I have to give a shout out to WP for getting me to watch this again and review it. Every body reading if you don't own this movie BUY IT NOW, it is more then worth it I promise.
twiiiiiiisted i must admit this one drags, and some scenes may be irrelevant, but i think the message goes beyond that. do not, i repeat, DO NOT objectify women. haha. lesson learned! A+ on the blood and violence!! ; )
Not what I expected... I read a lot of reviews about this movie before I picked it up; the stories of its strong and graphic content and intensity had piqued my interest. To be blatantly honest, however, I was disappointed.
This was a good movie; don't misunderstand that. It was interesting and curious, well acted and all that; In that respect, I enjoyed it. However, I was let down in that it is not, NOT the graphically violent film that you might have been lead to believe it is. Yes, there is some violence, and it is a bit intense, but really only a bit; nothing more than you might see in any other 'horror' or 'thriller' type movie out there. You expect it. But this movie shouldn't be made out to be one of those movies. It isn't senselessly violent; its about realistic situations and people. While it escalates to an extreme point in the end, I wouldn't suggest going into this movie with the intent of seeing a "violent movie".
The first review I read about this told me to "stop reading here and just watch". I think I should have; I suggest the same to you. Take the movie as its surface, don't think into it, and just let it happen for you. You'll enjoy it much more by discarding the expectations that are being tossed around it.
Loved it Don't listen to all the people that say this movie is too slow. It is slow paced but it delivers at the end. All the details add a lot to the climax.
For the scene at the end, crank up your surround sound up. You can really hear the piano wire from the right speakers, then the left, then the right, so on an so forth.
Seriously there is some plot to this, it's not just a shocker, just don't expect it to be a horror movie, because it's more of a suspense movie with violence, which, for some bizarre reason many people confuse with horror.
Ugghh!!! The story unfolded ever so slowly and towards the end it became confusing. It's just a messed up story.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
