Plot: What’s it about?
Mario (Teah) is a Brazilian/Japanese man living in Japan with his girlfriend Kei (Michelle Reis), a young Chinese hairdresser. But all is not well in this romance, as Kei is to be deported until Mario kicks into action and rescues her. He plans to get them both fake passports, stow away on an outgoing ship, and begin new lives together, away from all of their current problems. This won’t be an easy task however, but Mario manages to hatch a plan that just might work, though it involves an immense amount of risk. Mario offers up the idea to steal some cash from the local mafia, use the funds to get out of Japan and never return, which means the mafia couldn’t punish them, since they’d be gone right after it happens. It all starts off well enough, but instead of cash in his hands, Mario ends up with some cocaine, though he can sell that to raise the needed funds. Now he and Kei are just a short while from their departure, but one of the local mafia bosses has taken an interest in Kei, so he sets into motion a plan of his own. Can these two lovers ever manage to leave their problems behind, or are their troubles just starting?
This is one strange, unpredictable picture and with director Takashi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive, Visitor Q) at the helm, we could expect nothing less. Although not as brutal as some of his other projects, The City of Lost Souls is quite dark and violent, make no mistake about that. Miike creates a realm within Japan where all sorts of odd characters pass through, with various intentions and approaches, which keeps the film fresh at all times. The pace remains brisk and while some scenes work better than others, I think The City of Lost Souls is a wild ride and sports some terrific moments. It can be a shade hard to follow at times thanks to some quick twists, but stay focuses and it will all make sense, at least as much as is needed. A sort of gangster movie on speed, The City of Lost Souls is loaded with blood, death, and destruction, so be prepared for that and some nice action sequences, though the end isn’t as riveting as I would have liked. As the paths of the different characters cross, some outlandish situations come to pass, some humorous, some violent, and some just plain bizarre. I recommend this movie to fans of offbeat cinema, but be forewarned, this kind of flick isn’t for everyone.
Video: How does it look?
The City of Lost Souls is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. The image doesn’t measure to up to recent U.S. releases, but by the usual Asian standards, this is a solid looking visual effort. The print shows more wear than it should, but looks clean enough and the other elements never seem hampered. I found contrast to be sharp and well refined at all times, while colors look bright, though the film often dulls them for visual scheme reasons. Of course, I’d like to have had an anamorphic widescreen version on this disc, but in the end, this is still a good looking transfer.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc sports 5.1 surround options in both Dolby Digital and DTS, so it has been spread over both sides, to ensure the highest quality presentation. Yes, I would have liked a dual layered disc instead, but I am pleased to have the DTS track, so even if it means flipping over the disc, I won’t complain much there. The original audio is the International version, which is mostly Japanese with a mixture of various other languages, depending on who is speaking at the time. This track sounds clean and makes good use of the surrounds, although not to the extent we expect from American action blockbusters. So expect a rich, very crisp presentation and you won’t be let down with either the Dolby Digital or DTS options. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track for this International version, as well as Cantonese tracks in all three forms and subtitles in Chinese & English, should you need any of those choices.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, but no other bonus materials.
