[7]

Five disparate stories intertwine in absurd ways in this bizarre but beautifully executed Tarantino-esque flick from Japan. The main story, by a narrow margin, focuses on a man who keeps killing and burying his wife only to find her home again, ready for their next lethal sparring match. Then there’s the exploits of a British hitman (Vinnie Jones) who is obsessed with asking people what their life purpose is. There’s also the family man who gets hypnotized by a celebrity magician and believes he’s a bird, only to be stuck that way after the hypnotist is murdered on stage before the spell can be broken. You also get a marketing guru who keeps coming up with whacky ideas for product commercials (which we get to see throughout the movie), and you get three teenagers out on the town looking for a good time while trying to mask their homosexual desire for one another.

Yes, Survive Style 5+ is a weird, weird movie. It’s like Magnolia, if Magnolia were on acid. I appreciate that there’s poignancy in the absurdity — like when the children of the ‘bird dad’ decide to accept their father is now forever a bird. It gives you something to hang onto while the movie flits from one scenario to another. For half the run time, the pacing and cataclysm of storylines works surprisingly well. Scrumptious cinematography, a fun soundtrack, and ridiculously ornate sets — all a plus here. The film starts to wear out its welcome about a half-hour before the end, but the most surreal moment is saved for the memorable finale. Directed by Gen Sekiguchi.