Hazard (2005 film)

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Hazard
Jo Odagiri
  • Jai West
  • Motoki Fukami
  • Hiroyuki Ikeuchi
    • CinematographyHiro Yanagida
    Edited byShuichi Kakesu
    Music byTomohide Harada
    Distributed by
    • Evokative Films
    • Eleven Arts
    Release dates
    Running time
    		103 minutes
    CountryJapan
    Languages
    • Japanese
    • English

    Hazard is a 2005 Japanese film mostly shot in New York City, written and directed by Sion Sono, starring Joe Odagiri and Jai West. It is the story of three youths who attempt to avenge their rights in a society of criminals and thugs.

    Synopsis

    Shin (

    Jo Odagiri), a Japanese university student, finds a book with a section about the hazards to be found in New York City. Otherwise leading a boring life, he eagerly heads to New York but soon finds out the hazards are true when he is mugged. Two Japanese-American punks, an outgoing thief named Lee (Jai West
    ) and his shy sidekick Takeda (Motoki Fukami), help him out after the mugging, and together the three begin a life of excitement and danger. In the end, that gets them in trouble with the police, resulting in a death. Shin ultimately goes back to Japan with a new thirst for life.

    Cast

    Reception

    Critical reception for the film was mixed to positive.

    vérité style "cleverly subverted to full blown fantasy."[1] Asia Pacific Arts called Hazard a "gritty, bilingual (even bipolar) film".[2] Film Threat also praised the film, writing that even with director Sono not liking the film and with his feeling it was the least of his works, the reviewer felt the film was a "brilliant" and "extremely well made romp through the criminal NYC underworld."[3]

    However,

    Japan Times overall panned the film, saying that the movie "trades on tired cliches of American (or rather pre-Guiliani New York) criminality and racism, while betraying attitudes close to those it is ostensibly condemning".[4]

    Release

    The film was shot guerilla style in New York City in 2002, but did not have theatrical release in Japan until 2006.

    Fantasia Film Festival in Canada on July 9, 2007[5] and at the Lyon Asiexpo Film Festival in France on November 9, 2007. Its most recent festival screening was at the Torino Film Festival in Italy on November 27, 2011.[6]

    DVD

    The American DVD features Japanese and English dialogue with optional English and French subtitles. DVD extras include a "making-of" featurette (in Japanese only), a video interview with the director, and a booklet containing a written interview in English.[5]

    References

    1. ^
      Twitch Film
      . Retrieved August 18, 2012.
    2. ^ "AFM 2006: Capsule Reviews". Asia Pacific Arts. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
    3. ^ Knox, Jeremy. "Fantasia 2007 – Day 4". Film Threat. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
    4. Japan Times
      . Retrieved 16 August 2012.
    5. ^
      Twitch Film
      . Retrieved August 18, 2012.
    6. ^ "Hazard". Torino Film Festival. Retrieved August 19, 2012.

    External links

    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hazard_(2005_film)&oldid=1160714245"