Recent Reviews for The City of Lost Souls
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MCT:March 26, 2008Like many other Miike films, a story that would turn out like a usual crime thriller actually turns out into a whacky crime thriller. Takashi Miike kind of whacky. You should know what I mean if you've seen other Miike films. The problem is that sometimes Miike's creativity is just a little too much. Fortunately this is not one of those times. Sort of.
The interesting thing about this film is that it incorporates Brazilian, Japanese, and Chinese, which is a pretty unique combination. Other than the that, the movie never really excels anywhere else, except for the ending. The first half of this film is the usual Miike weirdness. You need to really pay attention cause you will get lost. You won't be totally lost though. You will be able to get the gist of what is going on and by the second half you are up to speed because the second half is fairly easy to follow.
As far as the Miike factor is concerned, you have some really cheap looking CG, weird characters, various filming styles, etc. The CG chicken fight is a hoot. Kung fu anyone?
This film isn't action packed, as you may believe, but the ending is quite explosive. Fans of the shotgun will be impressed.
The acting is OK at best. The lead, Teah, is nothing special and the beautiful Michelle Reis isn't doing much. Underdevelopment of her character hurts. There are also the few over actors, but that is not out of the ordinary.
The only people I would recommend this film to are the Takashi Miike fans. The other reason to watch this film is if you want an abnormal crime adventure.
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MCT:February 16, 2008Fun action/yakuza entry from Miike, average plot but it has enough fun moments to elevate from it's ordinary elements. From the matrix spoof to the odd but creative small moments that are so common in Miike, i can safely say i was never bored while watching this. The man has the gift to turn even the most pedestrian and mundane film into a carnival ride.
Besides, Michelle Reis appears in so few movies lately that anything with her is like finding oil. -
MCT:January 6, 2008Matrix style cock fighting and a deadly game of table tennis help to make this a memorable film in Miike's extensive catalogue.
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MCT:December 20, 2007My least favourite Miike film, though I still own it and will watch it again. Miike's just a damned interesting filmmaker.
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MCT:October 6, 2007My favorite Miike. The delirious violence and absurdity that makes his films great, wrapped into a love story.
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MCT:April 29, 2007
Takashi Miike makes five or six movies a year so some of those are bound to be shit. This is one of them.
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MCT:March 3, 2007
An absolutely storming Miike film with a superb cast, fantastic music and set-pieces and playful, cartoon like sense of humour. Yakuza vs. Triads with a game of table tennis? oh yess.
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MCT:November 30, 2006
really cool movie. incorporated lots of different cultures found in japan. filled with lots of action. basically the asian true romance. mario and kei kick ass.
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MCT:November 10, 2006Ok Not as good as some of the other Takashi Miike stuff I have seen. Just not as creepy as I have come to expect from him. It still has some good visuals and some clever cinematic tricks.
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MCT:June 19, 2006
From the opening montage to the CGI cock-fights, this film has several great Miike sequences. Unfortunately there is very little substance to tie them together.
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MCT:June 5, 2006
There are moments when this film feels like "Natural Born Killers" but it manages to avoid any further comparisons by just being surreal and even a bit childish. This is a lovers on the run film, which is one of my favourites and the imaginative spark that Miike lends is also refreshing. However it is also quite dull in places, which is a shame. The film can never manage to keep a good pace, going from wacky, fast exciting to serious, slow and emotional. The scenes either fall into realistic or just plain hyperactive, and Miike doesn't manage to combine the two as well as say "Ichi the Killer". The CGI is very poor but something tells me it is supposed to be like that, in the fantastic CGI cockfight sequence I doubt we are meant to take seriously. It is a hilarious scene. I didn't really care for the characters, as most of them are just scum, or at least pretty damn filthy. If you are a fan of Miike, like myself, and just want to watch a fun film, that requires no thinking and a few inspired moments of surreal brilliance then check this out.
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MCT:April 26, 2006
Oh Matrix cockfights. How I love you. This movie wasn't as gorey as Miike's earlier movies, but it was very interesting and a bit more believable. Still a bit hard to follow but a good thriller with some trademark Takashi moments.
