Kikujiro by Takeshi Kitano (Review)

I’m not sure what it is about Takeshi “Beat” Kitano’s films. They’re not great films, but I just think it’s interesting that someone as stoic and stone-faced as Kitano (who writes, directs, and stars in all of his films) can be so interesting on screen. Well, that was the case until I saw Kikujiro.

Kitano plays the titular character, a petty crook and all-around surly man who agrees to take a young boy named Masao on a trip to see his mother. It sounds like it’ll be a heartwarming film, and all of the reviews I’ve read say as much. Unfortunately, they’re wrong. The film has a few moments, as Kikujiro and Masao begin to warm up to each other, but the film is ruined by two things.

First, it’s Kitano himself. Although it’s nice to see him actually smiling and dancing around in a film, as opposed to his normal stoicism, after awhile it just gets annoying. I thought this film was supposed to be about a boy finding his mother, not watching Kikujiro learn how to swim and juggle, or try to hitch rides with silly little skits.

The other thing that ruins the film is the last 20 minutes or so. After the boy’s trip doesn’t turn out as planned, Kikujiro and a motley group they meet on the road do what they can to cheer up Masao. Unfortunately, this means a lot of inane games, stupid skits, and dumb humor that’s as senseless as it is unfunny.

When the film finally tries to throw in a moment of emotion (e.g., when Kikujiro goes to see his estranged mother), it feels awkward and undeserved. The film’s only real strength is Joe Hisaishi’s score, which is playful and quite lovely.