The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993) User Reviews

Classy, sick, entertaining, great.

[ahotmaailaddress · 8/10 · 22 October 2006]

This one caught my eye in the foreign section of Hollywood Video. I've heard it said that noir is a dead type of film, not so. Though in many ways this parodies the noir films of the 40s and 50s, it had its strengths and comes across as a noir pretty well.

The lighting was amazing, as was the framing framing; every shot was perfect and the plot wasn't half bad.

When the film started, I thought it was set in the 50's or thereabouts, with the protagonist driving a Nash Metropolitan and the theatre featuring Cinemascope. But at one point a character suggests that fingers can be reattached now, and then more modern cars were shown parked on the street, stuff like this can get to you.

I loved this, I would definitely recommend it.

Great piece of modern noir

[Agent10 · 8/10 · 23 May 2006]

This and the subsequent films that followed The Most Terrible Time in My Life will most likely get lost in the deep annals of film history. But for those that got the chance to watch these films, these movies take you back to an old-school genre that seems so familiar and accessible, even if it is in Japanese.

Maiku Hama is such a silly and over the top character that you have to think this was a comedy in the making, but Hama displays rather quickly that he is a competent private eye who takes his work seriously, albeit he drives around in a rather ludicrous car. The interesting thing about this movie is that it didn't feel like the beginning to a trilogy. Instead, this is the one movie in the series that can stand alone.

Odd hodgepodge of influences and ideas actually resulting in a really entertaining movie

[Justin1983 · 8/10 · 2 January 2008]

The Most Terrible Time In My Life is quite simply a real oddity of a film. The film is a hodgepodge of influences (namely Seijun Suzuki and Mickey Spillane), genres (Japanese '60s B-movies, film-noir, and comedy), and ideas. Really, the film should feel like a mess as it shifts on the drop of a dime from trying to appear like a serious noir to being a wacky comedy, but surprisingly it all manages to work.

Kaizo Hayashi, the director, even gets to work in his heavy influence from Seijun Suzuki without it feeling derivative (that right there, you have to admit, is a feat worthy of notice!). It is strange to watch a Japanese movie from 1994 that simultaneously feels like it is a mid-'90s Japanese film and an early '60s B-movie shot by Suzuki on one of his much less abstract and experimental endeavors.

But see, right there is one of the most charming and endearing characteristics of The Most Terrible Time In My Life; that the film feels old and new, original and old-hat, that it acts serious and then suddenly goofy and then back to being serious, that it can be hip and carefree and then gritty and a downer and back again--and all of this throughout the film somehow works.

This film is incredibly entertaining and interesting, and immensely enjoyable (plus the cameo by Jo Shishido *AS* Jo Shishido, who seemingly is not an actor in the world of the movie but instead the long-standing P.I. mentor to the protagonist, is mind blowing to anyone who is a fan of "Cheek's" films or his work with Suzuki). If you can get a hold of this film, you really should, it is well worth your time if you have any interest in film noir/neo-noir, Mike Hammer, Seijun Suzuki, or left-field Japanese cinema.

What's not to like?

[ottaky · 17 September 2004]

A private eye film, in Japanese, shot in black and white with the hero going by the name of Maiku Hama whose office is in a movie theatre. How can you go wrong with a combination like that?

This is a really clever film that veers confidently between mild violence, comedy and a relatively interesting story line.

It's the little things that really make this film stand out - the scene where Maiku is beaten mercilessly with a stick by his sensei is hilarious. The cold blooded murders aren't graphic, but you'll remember them for a long time. The cinematography is first rate, especially the use lighting which really makes the black and white medium work fantastically well.

Highly recommended.

Supercool detective stuff

[thehumanduvet · 7/10 · 16 April 2002]

This is a fun little flick, a kind of retro private eye kind of thing, all very stylish and cool. It's kind of a blend of hard-as-nails gangster movie, chopped off fingers, gore and all, with a bit of Jackie-Chan-stylee daft comedy. Well worth watching, specially for anyone interested in modern Japanese culture and society, or Mike Hammer.

A movie that can't make its mind up

[augean_studio · 6/10 · 15 February 2007]

Okay, so we begin with the Mike Hammer parody, the office in a movie theater, and the detective (wildly overdressed) drives a Rambler. Then the mood turns serious and we're supposed to take this clown seriously after all. There was either a bad script or a director who didn't understand the script. The results are a few moments of humor, some pretty gory violence, and almost total incomprehension on my part. There may have been clever curve balls the director was throwing, and I couldn't pick up the spin of the ball. If so, ah well. But if I'm correct, this confection just isn't worth the time it takes to watch it. Good cinematography and clever "cute" ideas start the film off, but they wear out their welcome about halfway in.

"The Most Terrible Time in My Life" is, ironically, a great way to spend two hours

[EnglishLaguna · 10/10 · 24 June 2005]

I went to my public library to browse their pretty large DVD collection and stumbled upon "The Most Terrible Time in My Life" in the foreign section. I watched it that afternoon and was so impressed that i had to watch it again later that night. It's a perfect blend of what the average American moviegoer would notice as "Kill Bill" (or any Tarantino film) meets "Lethal Weapon" meets "Kung Fu Hustle" meets "Gross Pointe Blank." Really, even this description is selling the movie short. The acting is so effective that even Englsh speaking viewers who usually watch foreign films with the dubbing turned on would appreciate the option of original track w/subtitles. No voice actor could compare. The movie is a beautifully shot homage to classic French, Asian, and American Cinema, while remaining modern enough in story, dialog and situation to appeal to a broad scope of audience types. In short, this movie is definitely one for the collection.

Japanese pulp for PI movie fans

[psteier · 6/10 · 31 August 2000]

Brings Mike Hammer Private Eye style movie making to a modern Japanese setting. Though shot in (widescreen) black and white, it doesn't look like the noir movies of the 1940's and 1950's. Has a good mix of action and humor and is usually fast paced. Can be hard to follow at times.

Deathless style

[lklee99 · 10/10 · 29 December 2001]

Please do not mistake this film for pulp. Pulp is by definition tawdry, which this film is not. It isn't greasy. Or slapped together. Or sensational and passing and cheap. This film wasn't made to be read through like a paperback and discarded.

The style, beautiful. The lighting, meticulous. The mood made the hair on my arms stand up. Watch this film.

Amazingly random....and too much so.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 19 March 2011]

If you did an experiment and had three or four different authors write a film--each writing a portion and then piecing them together--this is what "Waga Jinsei No Toki" ("The Most Terrible Time in My Life") looks like. And, I would add, it's as if the different authors really didn't read each others work before they began writing and only had a a very general idea what the film was about in the first place. It's a shame, really, as PARTS of the film are very good...and other parts really don't seem to fit.

The first portion of the film had a lot of promise--and I was thrilled to watch. A guy named 'Miku Hama' (in other words, a Japanese bastardization of 'Mike Hammer'--the Mickey Spillane character) is a Japanese private eye whose office is above a movie theater. To get to see Mike, they make you pay admission to the theater. And, Mike drives a cool little Nash Metropolitan--one of the quirkiest cars ever made. So, naturally I assumed it was a comedy--a comedy with film noir overtones (with its retro black & white cinematography and look). Even when Mike meets and tries to help a Taiwanese man, the film, though dark, seemed like a comedy. In a nod, perhaps to "Chinatown", Mike's finger is sliced off trying to help the guy.

Unfortunately, Mike eventually became more of a secondary character and his new Chinese friend became more the subject of the film. And, the friend's desire to track down his long-lost brother took a very, very dark turn. Instead of comedy, the film became quite bloody and a bit nihilistic. A bit like film noir, perhaps, but with a much more negative and nasty edge.

I'd say that for the most part, watching this movie was a very frustrating experience. Parts were wonderful but the overall film didn't add up to a likable whole. Surprisingly, the film spawned a pair of sequels--one of which is shown, in part, at the end of this film. Also, the old-time Japanese noir actor Jô Shishido (who had facial implants to make himself look more like a chipmunk) makes a totally random appearance in the film--and it seemed like they had no idea what to do with him. It's a shame, really, as Shishido's films appear to have strongly influenced these film makers and I wanted to see more of him.

cult cinema/old serials styled psychological yakuza thriller

[vol2 · 10/10 · 1 July 2007]

This film instantly became one of my favorite movies after watching it. Starring Masatoshi Nagase, who first came to the notice of American audiences after appearing in Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" (1990), this serial styled private eye film just oozes with creativity and dark humour. It's got everything I look for in cult films: ultra-violence, weird cult gangs, great style and a downbeat plot. Some folks will undoubtedly be confused by this movie, especially those who lack interest in cult cinema or those who are not used to the pacing of Japanese films. What can I say, this is not going to be for everybody, but to those who really get it, and you will know who you are, this movie is a classic waiting to happen.

One of the Worst Movies of my Life

[johnt-8 · 4/10 · 20 April 2004]

Well, that might be saying much, but this movie was not only slow and predictable, it ended as "TO BE CONTINUED". The wasn't any resolution. They filming style reminded me of a TV show. The characters are paper thin. The only really redeeming quality is a guest scene with Jo Shishido. If you like your detective films white washed and boiled so long they have no more flavor, then give this one a shot.

The hero isn't interesting. His motivation (getting his teenage sister through college) is boring. The bad guys look like they came off of a Jackie Chan in Australia set. They aren't scary.... I will NOT be continuing the series any time soon.

Please, wake up by the third act...

[film-critic · 3/10 · 16 November 2008]

Joining together such forces as American noir, Japanese gangster, the always enjoyable (see sarcasm) French New Wave, and low-brow comedy, "The Most Terrible Time in My Life" is a complex who-done-it that never quite leaves the ground until the third and final act. Attempting to keep audiences attentions by introducing random acts of violence (like the sliced finger and repetitive punch to the leg), our central story remains weak and disjointed. From the beginning, where a random detective (located within a theater) stands up for a seemingly weak mahjongg waiter, we just don't get enough information about the basics of film – the why, who, where, and how – to really care about these two "friends" next course of action. Our director leads us down paths which involve gangsters, missing brothers, misplaced marriages, and then into the dark void of nothingness, until the final act (which I will not give away), that makes you stand up, gain an once of respect for this film, and perhaps eager to see the supposed sequel.

With such a variety of different homage happening in this film, director Kaizo Hayashi has his hands full. After two viewings of the first thirty minutes of this film, I knew I was going to have my hands full. There is just too much happening without further detailed explanations. As an audience, linear is not the only option. One cannot complain about strong storytelling, intriguing characters, and a plot that keeps your mind focused on detail, but with "MTTiML" there was nothing of the sort. Hayashi replaces all of these important facets of cinema with cute images. Hama has a retro American car, he holds office in a movie theater that ironically dictates his life, and sometimes gets angry for no reason. There is also some back story about his mother, his sister, and an angry police officer that we are only privy to small flashbacks of. There was more to tell with this story, something that would eventually lead to that entertaining third act, but alas, there was nothing. As my eyes grew heavy, as Hayashi pulled further into a world that had no central meaning, I was ready to give up – but then, that third act. Just watch this film for the final moments, where we have some central conflict, our black and white turns to color, and finally we have some music to accompany the images. That will tell you enough about this film to see the truth.

Overall, I cannot stand behind this feature. Within the second viewing there were hopes that it would become more connected, that our characters wouldn't just seem like cheap clichés of themselves, but it never happened. There were three to five great scenes that demonstrated the power of Hayashi's ability to control the camera and lead his actors, but those were nearly drowned out by the dull nature of the rest of the picture. The concept was there, it was the execution that was flimsy. One viewing, that is all you need – it will either entertain or provide a good night's rest. You can be the judge.

Grade: ** out of **** (merely for that third act, one could watch those final twenty minutes again and again)