By Stephen Pytak
I avoided this flick for many years, probably because I thought it was
going to be just another torture porn trip. Yawn.
Then something made me curious. Back in December 2009, a lot of
film reviewers were compiling their top 10 lists for the decade. "Audition"
popped up on a few.
While flipping through the DVDs in the horror section at Best Buy last
week, I stumbled upon a recently released version of the film, a two-disc set.
I gave in, plunked down like $22 and gave it a whirl.
I was pleasantly surprised.
It was made with the kind of care you'd see in something by Hitchcock or
the best of Argento's films. There was an interesting story, tons of suspense
and carefully crafted payoffs which I must applaud. While there's gore the
director resists the temptation to bloody his canvas. Instead, he attacks our
senses with sound effects and style. And the actors dig into their respective
roles with relish.
The plot is a bit odd, but that's kind of what makes the film fun. A widower
looking for someone special to spend the rest of his days with seeks out
candidates through a most unique approach. Using contacts at a local film
studio, he announces the start of a new project. He wants to audition girls for
the role of the heroine. In the process, he finds one of them rather intriguing...
What follows is a fascinating character study about two people who have
suffered personal tragedies. The tension amps up when one of them reveals
how they cope. The rollercoaster ride left me breathless.
This is one of those films like Hitchcock's "Psycho (1960)" where the less
you know when you start it the better.
I haven't seen a lot of Takashi Miike's films. I remember "Ichi the Killer
(2001)" which was funny and gory; "Imprint (2006)," an episode in the
"Masters of Horror" series, which was strange, but kind of interesting;
and "Sukiyaki Western Django (2007)," which I had high hopes for, but
left feeling it was just O.K.
"Audition" might be Miike's best film. Dunno. But it's my favorite to date.
The Collector's Edition DVD, released in October 2009 by Shout! Factory,
comes with a booklet and a second disc filled with cast and crew interviews.
Nice package.
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