***SPOILERS*** In Kiyoshi Kurosawa's CURE, in which the director examines both the quicksilver nature of truth as well as "the transient nature of one's true self," actor Koji Yakusho was "Mesmerising." He's no less watchable, here, in CHARISMA (which he has, in abundance: he's this Kurosawa's equivalent to Akira Kurosawa's Toshiro Mifune, if such a parallel can be drawn). Kurosawa once again demonstrates his mastery of superbly subtle surrealism. CHARISMA also reminds one of ACACIA, another borderline fantasy fright film. Kurosawa is clearly comfortable bending genres. (Not that he's incapable of straightforward narrative: in SEANCE, the medium herself is the message and BRIGHT FUTURE is nothing if not a "mainstream" movie. Only exceptionally well done.) Like 3-IRON, CHARISMA is a subtle, mature and "haunting" experience.
Charisma
(1999)
"What interests me is the nature of film itself."- Kiyoshi Kurosawa
19 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers