DVD Review: Audition (A-)

Audition (1999)
Directed by Takashi Miike
Starring Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiin, Tetsu Sawaki and Jun Kunimura
MPAA: R and UR
Grade: A-

Review by Scott Standish

With the bold and shocking film Audition, Japanese director Takashi Miike has made a strong bid for inclusion in the "violent surrealists" club currently governed by Canadian director David Cronenberg and U.S. weirdo David Lynch. We are huge fans of both Cronenberg and Lynch so needless to say, we loved the beautifully horrific Audition.

Aoyama is a lonely widower that despite seven years passing has yet to get on with his life. His son tells him that he is starting to "look old" and that he should "find himself a wife" before it's too late. Aoyama agrees but realizes that he can't handle the endless searching and humiliating rejections that come with dating life. Aoyama's friend is a movie producer that specializes in holding actor auditions. Over drinks one night they devise a plan: the two of them will announce an open casting call for a character that fits the appearance, beliefs and personality that Aoyama desires in a wife.

Aoyama auditions dozens of girls but only one truly mesmerizes him: Yamazaki Asami. Yamazaki is pretty, obedient and charming. Aoyami finds her to be intoxicating. Aoyami's best friend warns him against choosing her, telling him that there is something wrong with her, something he can't define, something "chemical". Blind with love, Aoyami ignores the warnings.

The first hour of Audition is about as normal as a film could be. The look, pacing and tone are all completely in accordance with what an average US movie-goer would expect. In fact the first half of Audition reminded me a little of Adrian Lyne's recent thriller Unfaithful.

It is the second part of the film that has created all of the controversy and rightly so. I won't give the story away, but I can tell you that Asami is not the girl that Aoyami thinks she is. The movie's tone turns horrific, violent and shocking. At this point you either are going to go along for the ride or quickly bail out.

For those that are easily squeamish I would advise against taking the chance on Audition. However, if you are fans of Lynch, Cronenberg (and maybe even Lyne) and don't mind a little gruesome touch to your cinema, you owe it to yourself to check out Audition. One final note, there are two versions of Takashi Miike's Audition floating around right now (an Unrated one and a cut down R version), so make sure to grab the Unrated version.

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