Audition Movie Review
Years after losing his wife, Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) decides to search for a new love. His friend comes up with a plan to screen women under the guise of a movie audition, and it's there he meets Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina), a young, seemingly timid lady with a very dark secret. Predating what may be considered the golden age of torture flicks (Saw, Hostel, et al), this 1999 Japanese film truly pushed the envelope upon its release. Let's talk about what you have probably heard about this movie, if you have heard of it at all--yes, the scenes of Asami with the wire are graphic, look realistic, and are exceptionally well done.
"kiri kiri kiri kiri"
While this is a very memorable part of the movie, it's not exactly what makes it such a great movie--there's plenty more going on to do that. The whole mood of the film is just eerie, from the hospital scene of Aoyama's wife dying to the bar to the plan being devised, there is a lot that will leave you feeling uneasy before you even see a drop of blood. Once Asami is introduced, the creepiness is amped up, and the remainder of the movie is utterly unnerving. The acting, particularly from our two lead characters, is strong--both Ishibashi and Shiina do a fantastic job expressing emotions without even having to say a word. The film is shot wonderfully, and even with a bit of humor thrown in, the viewer is never taken out of the mood--I would argue that though the audition scenes provided unexpected laughs, it was still shot in a way to make the viewer feel on edge, and is some of the best work in the film. As is the case with many Japanese horror movies, this one burns slowly, and could have benefited from having about ten minutes shaven off it. The ending is also a bit abrupt, and rather unsatisfying, but those are really the only complaints I have about this movie. I first saw Audition not long after it came out, and had not watched it in years--unlike with so many movies I go a long time without watching, this one is still every bit as good as I remembered it being.
On A Scale Of One To Ten: 8
Audition Movie Trailer
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