KOTOKO

"I see double. I can’t tell which one is real".

So says Kotoko (Cocco) in her opening narration as she watches a man play with his son, while a duplicate version of the fellow threatens to attack her. This imaginary doppelganger disappears into thin air before it can harm her.

But … we get the picture. Wafer-thin self-harmer Kotoko has a condition that is likely to fuck her up in every single day of her life.

"I must stay alert," her narration asserts, "otherwise I could die". She’s not exaggerating: even an everyday event such as passing a cyclist on the street is hairy – if she jumps to avoid the wrong one, the one that actually exists may inadvertently pummel her into the ground. And ruin his perfectly good bike.

Kotoko narrates further as we follow her about her lonely life, learning that the only time she can control her double vision is when she’s singing. This isn’t something she does for a living: it’s something she does in private, like on the roof of the high-rise apartments she lives in.

Crucially, we discover Kotoko has a young son called Daijiro. Still in jumpsuits and sleeping in a cot, he is utterly dependent upon his fragile mother – which makes her a vulnerable protagonist from a very early stage in the film. She fears so much that her condition will bring harm that she wears a fake wedding ring just to ward potential suitors off.

And whenever neighbours get close enough to experience Kotoko’s paranoid delusions first-hand, she feels compelled to move on. Life for Kotoko, then, is lonely. Daijiro is her world.

So imagine her distress when one such incident results in him being taken off her and placed into the care of her sister. She breaks down, begins to question morality and starts self-harming even more.

Eventually she receives a telephone call inviting her to visit her son at her sister’s place. She sings throughout the long train journey there, and revels in a happy reunion with her son … but how can she maintain their relationship, with such a burden upon her shoulders?

To reveal any more would be criminal, as this is the crux of the story. A heart-breaking concept, though it is.

I’ve watched Shinya Tsukamoto’s directorial career with interest over the last 25 years, sufficiently impressed by his game-changing debut feature TETSUO: THE IRON MAN to keep abreast of where he was headed next. Although his subsequent output has varied in quality – TOKYO FIST, HAZE, VIRAL, the TETSUO sequels etc – he’s always stayed true to my belief that he’s a crazed genius; a visionary whose plateau is just a little too wobbly for me to stand on comfortably for too long.

KOTOKO is, for me, his best film since the original TETSUO. I say ‘best’, I mean most satisfying. This is due to its intimate filming style (handheld digital cameras; editing and photography that evoke a style not unlike Lukas Moodyson’s) and the bravura casting of popular Japanese singer Cocco in the lead role.

Cocco has had well-documented personal issues of her own in the past and allegedly suffers from a very mild form of the mental illness suffered by Kotoko. Tsukamoto uses this convenience to strike an emotional chord that’s perhaps been lacking in a lot of his films of late. As technically sound and predictably baffling as they’ve been, a lot of his recent oeuvre has fallen into the trap of most surrealist cinema: nice ideas, shame about the lack of soul. KOTOKO addresses this by introducing a character, and a set of circumstances, that tug at the heartstrings without unnecessary manipulation.

Cocco is excellent. Everyone is, but it’s very much her film. It’s a cathartic experience for her, we feel, and it’s a privilege to be invited along for the ride. Bringing her own mother and son into the casting is inspired too, although it does make for potentially painful viewing given the subject matter (but we like that).

With its candid documentarian style and unexpectedly linear format, this is a fine achievement from Tsukamoto in that it still doesn’t dilute the weirdness that we’ve grown accustomed to from him. Body horror? Yes, it’s here. Gore? Yes, albeit in non-genre environments. Bizarre performance from Tsukamoto himself? Of course. In Kotoko’s head, he could be either a kindly neighbour who stops her from committing suicide or someone ready to suffocate her in Clingfilm. You’ll just have to watch to find out which one is right.

The film looks very good here in an uncut 16x9 transfer. Colours are naturally vivid, blacks play nicely without threat of compression crushes and images are sharp throughout. This is detailed transfer, very healthy looking and a perfect reflection of how good a shot-on-digital film can be.

The Japanese 5.1 audio track is impressive too. Optional English subtitles seem to be free from typing errors, and are easy to read at all times.

Third Window’s DVD opens to a nice animated main menu page which, most welcomingly, features a loop of Cocco dancing in the rain. From there an animated scene-selection menu allows access to the main feature via 20 chapters.

Extras begin with a highly beneficial 21-minute video interview with Tsukamoto. This is taken, it would seem, from the same session as the interview featured on Third Window’s awesome TETSUO release. The questions appear as onscreen text, interspersed throughout.

Tsukamoto is warm and unassuming, ever the gentleman and totally the opposite of the grim persona he portrays in onscreen roles. He looks a lot younger than he does in character too. He speaks easily about casting Cocco, the highly personal nature of the film, directorial preparation and even the film’s ending: so don’t watch this before the main attraction!

The film’s original trailer is less spoilerific but very handsome and a good indication of what to expect.

We also get trailers for a succession of other Third Window titles: UNDERWATER LOVE, VILLAIN, COLD FISH, TETSUO 1 & 2, HIMIZU, ADRIFT IN TOKYO, ISN’T ANYONE ALIVE?, SAWAKO DECIDES, CONFESSIONS, LOVE EXPOSURE, MEMORIES OF MATSUKO, CRIME OR PUNISHMENT?, MITSUKO DELIVERS and CONFESSIONS OF A DOG. Wow, you forget how impressive the Third Window roster has become.

KOTOKO isn’t an easy film to assess. By its very nature it has an unconventional approach and, with it being directed by Tsukamoto, anyone going into it hoping for easy answers will be disappointed. But if you’re looking for a dark drama with intelligence, a heart and originality, look no further.

He may be mental, but he’s still a visionary: KOTOKO is indeed Tsukamoto’s best film in years.

Review by Stuart Willis