Radiating with the light mood of a blithe adventure, Kikujiro hits its mark dead on as a Kitano summer holiday. With no strict plot structure, and a premise that wears out earlier than expected, the film and its characters simply meander to find a satisfying end in the smallest moments. Director Takeshi Kitano succeeds remarkably in his shift away from contemplative and violent crime films to walk the thin line of a creating an honest, heartwarming family film without the cloying and overly sentimental moments.
Masao, a lonely child who lives with his grandmother, has nothing to do during summer vacation, so he decides to find his mother. While Masao is leaving, local tough guy Kikujiro is forced by his wife to accompany the boy on the journey, and so begins a wild vacationing tangent full of race track betting, perverts, jugglers and motorcycle gang members. By taking the same sort of approach to the carefree sunny segments in Sonatine, Kitano crafts a touching buddy road drama around those bonding moments, while holding back on the cheesy life lessons learned, and aiming for something subtler. The static visual style does wonders for his deadpan humor and Joe Hisaishi’s score is quite memorable—though it may infuriate the occasional viewer with its slightly syrupy sound.
At its core, Kikujiro is a simple film that addresses tired out themes of friendships and dependency, with offbeat family-friendly Kitano humor. This will not be a film for many Kitano fans, but those who appreciate the relationships between his characters, and his refusal to resort to grand, extravagant moments of drama should definitely find a warm, enjoyable experience here.
Reviewed by Tarun
