KAMIKAZE GIRLS

Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten
VIZ Media
Grade: C-
Directed by: Nakashima Tetsuya
Written by: Nakashima Tetsuya, story by Novala Takemoto
Cast: Fukada Kyoko, Anna Tsuchiya
Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 8/22/05

Maybe you have to be a teen, especially if you're from Japan, to
appreciate "Kamikaze Girls." Yes, it's an original, though it
borrows surreal imagery from "Amelie" and pastel colors from
the library of John Waters. But originality is apparently not all that it’s cracked up to be. One wonders, in fact, whether teens in Tokyo would dig it. This film did appear to win major accolades at the Fujimoto Awards–including best picture, director, actress, supporting actress, new actor and new director. Given the press notes' glossary of Japanese terms used in the movie–such as Yanki (a special hairstyle), Parco (a department store chain, something like Bloomingdale’s), Daikanyama (hottest fashion spot in Tokyo), we Americans might be expected to decode its meaning. The picture nonetheless falls short in that department.

“Kamikaze Girls” is the story of a friendship between two girls, each about 17, who come across as quite different from each other and yet, deep down, they are the same, lonely individuals. Their sameness is what allows them to bond, as they become accustomed to each other, with time allowing the more naive of the two to forgive the hipster for a couple of conks on the head.

Momoko, who is played by Fukada Kyoko–apparently a major celeb in Japan–subscribes to the Lolita fashion, which is to dress in frilly, Victorian style outfits. We can see why such retro costuming would suit her, given that she frequently imagines herself living during the Rococo era, particularly as a member of the Versailles court. Her life is anything but frilly, however, as she’s a country girl who, in the opening scene, finds little more amusing than watching a cow produce flop.

Her dad is as far as one can get from celebrity status–a seller of counterfeit Versace merchandise, which he labels “Versach”–whose wife has run off to take part in beauty contests. Life offers possibilities when Momoko meets Ichiko (Anna Tsuchiya), a biker who spits, dresses in leather, and is a member of a gang. The obligatory road trip finds them seeking Harajuku, a mythical queen of girl biker gangs. During their odyssey, they both have a golden opportunity to change their styles, each moving away from her special extremes to find a happy moderation.

Director Nakashima Tetsuya indulges us twice in manga, of Japanese anime, which does little either to clarify the state of affairs or to be entertaining in its own regard. If this movie is an example of girl power, it comes across as too cute by half.

Not Rated. 102 minutes © 2005 by Harvey Karten
harveycritic@cs.com