Review by: Andrew Chan FCCA AACTA FIPRESCI
Review Date: 4th November 2013

Directed by: 前田司郎 Maeda Shiro
Starring: 窪塚洋介 Kubozaka Yosuke, 井浦新 Iura Arata, 倉科加奈 Kurashina Kana, 市川實日子 Ichikawa Mikako

Reviewed at 10th Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2013

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This is an interesting method of film-making. Like most Japanese cinema, the film starts of slowly, but what makes “The Extreme Sukiyaki” stands out even more, is the film purposely lacks a point of direction, which precisely links with the character’s life and goals. The characters in this film all lack a direction in where they are going in life and perhaps more easily emphasized as a quarter life crisis. Everyone seems lost and their futures are so spontaneous and random that director Shiro Maeda simply follows suit. It seems as though Maeda is following a journey and decisions just as the character decides to do this and that. Everything seems to lack a certain degree of planning, except for the group ultimate goal of eating beef sukiyaki. Although the opening 30 minutes may bore you to death, it must be said that once you overcome it, the film simply grows onto you and makes you understand the characters just that little more at the turn of very scenes and decision making.

Yosuke Kubozuka takes on the lead role as a lazy nobody who have achieved nothing in his life. He takes his life, as one day at a time, but like in the middle of the film, his reunited former friend played by Arata Lura commented, there is something about Yosuke that makes you want to act or inspire you to do more. What I find especially fascinating is whenever Lura interacts with his old college flame played by Mikako Ichikawa. While Mikako thinks she have moved on and grown up in life and way of thinking, Lura is still living like he was 11 years ago. The two contains enough chemistry to hold the film together and provides the sparks of former flame interactions that make the film all the more interesting to follow. While Yosuke’s girlfriend (played by Kana Kurashina), who is clearly younger provides the three former college friends with a shadow of themselves.

All in all, “The Extreme Sukiyaki” is an interesting directorial debut from the scriptwriter of the wonderful “A Story of Yonosuke“. Director Shiro Maeda is able to let the events flow, where everything seems to be running at real time. The fact that none of the characters know what they want to achieve in life or even precisely what their plan for tomorrow is, Maeda succeeds in making the audience feel the same way about the film. Maybe it is just me, but I found this aspect of film-making unique and refreshingly different. Still, there is nothing conclusive about this film, it lacks an introduction and by the end of the film, I am not sure, we learn much about these characters despite going on a road trip with them. Sure by the end of the film, we see the motivation and reason behind Arata Lura finding his friends in the first place, but the fact that everything seems so aimless, makes it increasingly frustrating for the audience to relate. Still, “The Extreme Sukiyaki” remains one of those films where you simply follow the characters on whatever journey they are taking, even if it is not entirely rewarding. (Neo 2013)

I rated it 6.5/10

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