"A Really Sluggish Journey" Treasure Hunter Kumiko (2015) Review
I would describe this film as odd, very odd. It takes a well-developed Japanese motif in Japanese media and reinterprets it under a western art film style. Even the Japanese actors in this film do not act like those in widespread popular Japanese media. Instead, the film brings back the nuance and nuanced interactions symbolic to Japanese society and placates the subtle culture shock as the main character, Kumiko, enters American society. These elements create a dramatically slow, sluggishly slow, film that might make you fall asleep.
The aforementioned nuanced interactions between the characters as well as the realistically imaged backgrounds that most of the scenes have rely heavily on the viewer to notice the difference between the reality and the fiction. However, the film does not make it easy as the preface of a woman disturbed to the point of insanity by harsh Japanese societal standards makes all the actions that the Kumiko in a way understandable and logical. There is little in the background and spatial evidence developed by the cinematography to indicate a fairytale, with the small exception of Kimiko’s redish coat and blanket dress, like aspect until the last 15 minutes. The lack of these elements and the length of the scenes caused the all the scenes except for those in the last 15 minutes to drag on much longer than it should.
I will put it out there. This film would have been better if it were a Japanese animated feature. The techniques used as well as the symbolically realistic aperture employed by the directors is more prevalent in Japanese anime in comparison to that of the live action versions counterparts. Stories like Usagi Drop and Deathnote are evidence of the difference appropriated between developing a live action versus the animated feature. The live action versions often have recognizable over dramatic interactions between the characters while the animated features often employ the nuanced interactions to develop a greater effect which is shown, in one way, especially present in Deathnote, as standoff between two individuals. Treasure Hunter Kumiko appears to take the Japanese animated nuanced gestures and the Japanese motif of the crazy person and put it into a live action film.
As a whole, the film may have been sluggish, but, it does fantastic job in its ability to humanize the weird actions of the notorious madman or madwoman. The film is able to provide you with the reasons and possibilities behind Kumiko’s madness as she attempts to find the treasure hidden in the movie Fargo. Yet again, as I am used to the motif of mad man or woman in Japanese society, I found the movie to just seem loop and continuously loop for a good hour and 30 minutes.
If Treasure Hunter Kumiko was shorter or an animated film feature, I believe the movie would be far more interesting. The movie has far too subtle in its imagery and interactions to develop an engaging movie. The movie does help reimage the madman or madwoman in a humanistic endeavor and does it well.
Trailer: Treasure Hunter Kumiko