Kotoko (Tsukamoto, 2011)

[shariqq]

Kotoko
Shinya Tsukamoto | Japan | 2011
91 min
Showing as part of DIFF’s Midnight Mayhem program, Kotoko is a psychological horror movie about one delusional young mother. The movie spans a few years during which Kotoko, the woman, suffers various paranoid episodes that put her, her child’s and her lover’s lives at risk. Told from the prospective of Kotoko, the movie blurs the lines of imagination and reality, as is want of such movies. While most of the movie’s horror elements work (psychological, as well as gore), the movie falters because of its haphazard narrative. Details are left out, and some guess-work is required to explain some situations. It also features extended scenes of singing, owing to the fact that the lead actress is a popular singer-composer. This may please fans of the actress, but it does not help the movie. Yet, for the part of the movie that does work, i.e. horror, the short running time makes it an effortless watch.

My Rating --> 3 of 5

[fizz]

Arguably the worst film of this or any previous festival I've attended, Kotoko is an atrocious attempt to regurgitate the already stale crazy woman schtick. Employing the services of popular chanteuse Cocco, it is baffling whether the film contains long, boring, extremely unwatchable scenes of bad singing because the lead actress is herself a singer or because her services were hired since the part required some singing.

Underneath this mess of badly acted, very bad directed and extremely badly edited horror cliche is a good idea about a crazy woman who sees double i.e. two of everyone, one of whom is always trying to attack her, but this is left out for large portions of the running time. The narrative is tonally, all over the place - audiences were laughing out loud at some of the absurdity on display including an extended detouring story arc that delves into the love and eventual marriage between crazy Kotoko and a stalking writer who fancies here. The film is so bad it actually borders on being a parody of the horror genre and not really a horror film itself.

Rating: 1/5

[X.]

Shinya Tsukamoto is absolutely bonkers. I cannot claim to seeing *any* of his films completely. He is better experienced in slight amounts.

[madali]

To me, Shinya Tsukamoto is a bit like Ken Russells. I love them, but I will never recommend their movies to anyone.

I've seen almost all of his movies, and this one will go on my list too.

[kaytee]

I've seen almost all of his movies, and this one will go on my list too.

Poking your eyeballs might be a better experience than watching Kotoko.

[madali]

The guy made Tetsou: The Iron Man, which had something like cyborg rape, so I'll have to see it for myself

[fizz]

I've seen almost all of his movies, and this one will go on my list too.

Poking your eyeballs might be a better experience than watching Kotoko.

Lol! Couldn't have said it better.

[X.]

I've seen almost all of his movies, and this one will go on my list too.

Poking your eyeballs might be a better experience than watching Kotoko.

Can't be any worse than...SHOOTING DOGS, now can it? I need to know!

[fizz]

I've seen almost all of his movies, and this one will go on my list too.

Poking your eyeballs might be a better experience than watching Kotoko.

Can't be any worse than...SHOOTING DOGS, now can it? I need to know!

Personally, I think it was. I could not stand this film. At least laughing through out Shooting Dogs (with friends) made it somewhat bearable. I'll let kaytee throw in his thoughts so you have more choices from which to determine how crass this film really was.

[shariqq]

Nope, it's not. That one was unanimously crapped upon by WMers.