2LDK

1st watched 7/11/2006, 7 out of 10(Dir-Yukihiko Tsutsumi): Creepy, yet entertaining chicks taking jealousy to the extreme flick. What this movie is, is a no-holds barred representation of what would happen if two women were filled with jealousy and hatred towards one another and had no conscience whatsoever to keep them from going to extreme measures to put the other away permanently. It starts off slowly as the characters are introduced 1 by 1 after returning home from their respective acting auditions for the same role for an upcoming coveted movie. They share an apartment that consists of 2 Bedrooms, A living room, A dining room and a kitchen; thus the title, 2LDK. We're initially tricked into thinking that the horror aspect of the movie is going to come from outside sources instead of from within. We are then shown thru the character's thoughts that anger is heating up quickly and builds to an overflowing point that never lets go until the end of the movie. At times, the extreme violence tends to pull you away from the screen but the director(Yukihiko Tsutsumi) then promptly grabs you back in as if he knows how you're going to react. This Japanese movie goes places deep within the hearts of characters that Hollywood only barely scratches at the surface. Many times in American movies it's turned into a blood-and-guts fest only without any probing into the characters. This movie is much more than that and for this reason it's a pleasurable(kind of) viewing experience if you can last thru to the very end, despite the graphic violence.

2LDK is an exceptional short film that combines the prodigious talents of two little-known actresses (Maho Nonami and Eiko Koike) with that of a marvelous director (Yukihiko Tsutsumi) in what turns out to be a surprisingly powerful, sometimes hilarious, and always provocative thriller.

I found the first half of the film, in which there is a lot of one-on-one conversation between the two women--combined fluidly with each woman's private thoughts--to be an absolute riot to watch. 2LDK offers marvelous insight into human nature and even the Japanese culture, reminding one that regardless of social conventions few people say what they -really- mean. Nonami and Koike both play their parts extremely well and with complete credibility. Amazingly, the film was shot in only a week's time despite the fact both women developed high fevers during the filming but carried on during the most physically demanding scenes without a break. I also found it fascinating to hear both actresses express having felt a certain amount of real-life animosity and antagonism towards one another during the making of the film. Great stuff.

In the second half of the film things become much darker as niceties are set aside and the two women let their true feelings show. Small disagreements become egregious offenses and events escalate rapidly to a remarkable, if not entirely unpredictable, ending. The 'weapons' the two use against each other are for the most part household items and as such make the battle even more engaging and intense.

I don't believe there is anyone who can't appreciate--or even completely relate with--the feelings both expressed and provoked in 2LDK; if you've ever had to live with someone you didn't much care for but tolerated in the name of keeping the peace--all the while letting your retributive fantasies 'evolve' from time to time--this film is guaranteed to produce plenty of smiles.

Highly recommended.

My mouth dropping constantly throughout the movie in shock until finally I just left it hang open. Very creative and original. Unfortunately some others walked out!?

I was curious what 2LDK meant after the film: in general it is a 2 bedroom apartment with living room, dining room and kitchen in Japan. The setting of the whole film.

In essence this is a very simplistic and minimalistic movie. It's entirely set inside one apartment and only 2 actresses can be seen on screen. Also the story in its core is very simple and straight-forward but very well- and effectively executed.

The story plays out wonderfully. It's about two young aspiring actresses, who share an apartment and are both in the race for the same role. They clearly don't like each other very much to begin with but they are friendly to each other, since they realize they have to simply put up with each other and make the best of it. They are often tiny annoyances between the two, which should be very recognizable for those who once shared an apartment with another person. However things soon start to escalate more and more between the two.

Because of the extremeness and over-the-top aspects of the movie and its story, you could also really take this movie a comedy. Not that it will make you laugh out loud but the way it's build up and plays out really reminds you of the structure of a comedy. It makes this a very entertaining and pleasant movie to watch.

It's besides well shot by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. You have to remember that the entire movie is set in just one apartment but yet the director manages to never make any of the scene's look alike and the movie also never starts to repeat itself. Granted, that this is also partly due to its very short running time (70 minutes).

A great, short, enjoyable movie to spend some time on.

8/10

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This movie is different, it's hilarious, yet violent.

I can't recall seeing a movie with a similar story. It's creative, the execution was great and the acting was wonderful, no complaints whatsoever.

Since there's already a summary, I won't get into that, if you're looking for a a movie that will entertain you for in between, this is a good choice, it's pretty short and doesn't make you think all day, but will have you entertained from start to end. Even though it's short, you will be able to 'get to know' the characters quite a bit. Some people I know didn't want to watch it because they were afraid it would be dull and the girls would just 'be there', that's not the case at all though. I totally know with which one I'd want to share an appartement with.

As always: Entertainment: 8/10 Violence: 6.5/10 Sex: 0/10