Review for Kotoko

Introduction

I just don’t know how I’m going to review Kotoko. It’s the latest film from cult director Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo) to be brought over to the UK, and Third Window Films are giving it the royal treatment, releasing it on Blu-ray and DVD on the same day that they release the Tetsuo double movie pack from the same director. It’s certainly the most impressive and accomplished film that I have seen from Tsukamoto and some will be justified in considering it his best film yet. At the same time, I developed an innate dislike of the film as I watched it, and I know that I can’t bear to watch it again. Trying to review Kotoko is like watching it in double vision, which is about as contrived a segue as there can be...


The titular main character of the film suffers from double vision, although in Kotoko’s case it’s less a medical affliction than it is a psychological one. She’s a single mother trying hard to bring up her baby son Daijiro. She eschews human contact, doesn’t trust men, and when people try to be friendly to her, she sees both them, and a negative version of them. She has trouble telling which version of a person is real, she also self-harms to affirm her existence, and that’s all a combination of factors that has social services take Daijiro away for his own protection while Kotoko seeks help. There is a positive to her life though, as when she sings, the world comes into focus and she attains some measure of equanimity. It’s also her singing which captures the attention of novelist Seitaro Tanaka, and unlike other men, he’s willing to accept a little pain in order to be with her. He even proposes marriage. When Daijiro comes home to her, it seems her life is finally going in the right direction... then she starts seeing two of Daijiro...

The Disc

Kotoko gets a 1.85:1 widescreen image at 1080p resolution on this Blu-ray disc, and it’s a splendid transfer of a relatively low budget feature, certainly Third Window Films’ strongest yet. I noticed no issues with compression and the like, and the image came across without flaw. It’s detailed, with strong and consistent colours, and with excellent clarity throughout, even during the films darker moments. The strong, bright colourful palette to the film stands in contrast to the film’s very dark tone, while the director always keeps the camera in motion, making it feel a very voyeuristic and personal film. The camera motion can get chaotic and unnerving during the film’s more dramatic moments. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 Japanese surround track is also put to similar use by the director, occasionally hitting the viewer with a wall of cacophony that reflects the main character’s state of mind. It’s not the most sound-designed film ever, but the sound is effectively used here. The subtitles are timed well, and other than one grammar flub, are free of error.

The images used in the review aren't necessarily representative of the final retail disc.

Extras

The film gets an animated menu on this disc, and for a change, the extras are all on the Blu-ray disc as well, as opposed to the usual bonus DVD that comes with Third Window Blu-rays.

You get the trailer for Kotoko and the Third Window trailer for the Tetsuo films, but the major contribution to this disc is the interview with director Shinya Tsukamoto, which lasts 22 minutes. He talks about the film and working with Cocco, and how the film is a very personal project for her. While the subs for the feature were fine, the subtitles in this interview could have used some more proofreading, although the intent of the message always gets across.

Conclusion

Kotoko is a character study of a woman slipping over the brink. Kotoko isn’t the most stable individual in the first place, but when we meet her, she manages to find some sort of balance by not letting her double vision condition overwhelm her. She does this by mostly keeping to herself. But as we learn it’s not a real solution, and her childlike personality is ill-suited to motherhood. It’s no wonder that she comes under pressure as she tries to handle it all herself, and her life becomes a downward spiral. It’s a fascinating, gripping, compelling performance from Cocco as Kotoko, and you will be hard pressed to tear your attention away from the screen. The direction is intimate, personal, almost invasive, and you get the feeling that you know this woman from the inside out, and that not only do you understand the feelings that accompany such a powerful and self-destructive depression, you share them to an extent too. This film is as strong and effective an exploration of mental illness as any I have seen.


It’s not all doom and gloom either, as the road to emotional collapse is a bumpy one, with highs and lows. When the character of Tanaka appears, played by Tsukamoto, there is a degree of humour and levity introduced into the film. They are shocking laughs, unexpected uppercuts and jabs of comedy, but they do leaven the mood, and make the final act of the film all the more devastating when it arrives. Kotoko is a well made film, with a breathtaking central performance from Cocco, and deft and effective direction from Tsukamoto.


And I can’t bear it. For me, this film crosses a line that I can’t deal with. It explores subjects and issues that I’m very uncomfortable with, and it features imagery that will most likely leave me with nightmares. I don’t care much for horror movies. I can never take them seriously, and while I have been made to jump out of my seat, I’ve never really been scared by a horror movie. Kotoko isn’t a horror movie, it’s a character drama. There are scenes in this film that terrified me down to my bones. This film goes in a direction that I can’t handle as a viewer, all the while telling a story and exploring issues that are sorely underrepresented in cinema.


Hence my double vision... Given my reaction to the film, and the way that I still feel uneasy and discomfited by my experience with it, I can’t in good conscience recommend it. Yet stepping outside myself, and evaluating what the film tries to convey, the performances and the quality of the filmmaking, I’d urge everyone who can handle its subject matter to watch it.