Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014)

That was an excellent one.

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Fantastic

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

It's difficult to describe or explain 'Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter', because there's nothing quite like it. I'm not even sure how you would categorise this film. Officially it's a drama, but it's also a comedy/adventure and one of very few films that's bleak and depressing yet somehow amusing at the same time.'Kumiko' is a slow and subtle film that relies heavily on the title character. The mystery and intrigue surrounding her is probably the only thing that makes this otherwise dull film interesting. In fairness, it does for this reason make for quite fascinating viewing, though the viewer does require a lot of patience and much of the subtle humour requires attention to pick up on. 'Kumiko' is a strange film and certainly on the weirdest comedy dramas I've seen.

KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER is a quirky character piece partly based on reality. It tells the tale of a young and lonely Japanese woman who becomes obsessed with the Coen brothers film FARGO, convinced that the treasure buried in the snow in that film is real. To this end, she makes an odyssey to America, determine to find the treasure and become rich as a result. It's an odd set up for sure but this exemplary film works very well. It's a mix of subtle character humour and the tragedy inherent in the premise. Fans of social commentary will be delighted with the film's exploration of the place of young, single women in the workplace in Japanese and the psychological effects that the rejection of normal society may have.I was previously aware of lead actress Rinko Kikuchi through her role in the Hollywood blockbuster 47 RONIN. In that, she was absolutely dreadful, giving a scenery-chewing performance as an evil witch. In KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER, she's a delight, delivering a nuanced performance mostly through her expressions and her eyes alone. I challenge any viewer not to be choked up during the subway scene or to be moved by her character's plight. She's a refreshingly ordinary and damaged heroine, one you can really root for. The direction of this film is excellent throughout with, as you'd expect, lots of fine cinematography of the snowy countryside. It's not exactly a true story, but as a piece of cinema it's a small delight.

Kumiko is a film about a Japanese girl who hasn't conformed to the norms of the Japanese traditions. By doing this she has been isolated and shamed, so she decides to head to America to find "The Treasure", using the movie "Fargo" as a map. The problem with Kumiko is not the story itself, but just how random her actions are. At times you feel detached from the movie, given this is a movie about detachment and depravity, but the story seems to go a little bit too off track for my liking.Kumiko, however, is a good film to watch. It's immensely somber and achieves the atmosphere well. One other thing I will mention, however, is the portrayal of the main character, Kumiko; it is absolutely fantastic.

I loved this film for its surreal story line and beautiful photography. Its about a girl who seems to be detached from the outside world and uninterested in engaging with work colleagues, family or old friends. She leads what seems to be a lonely life in a small apartment which she shares with her pet rabbit. One of the beautiful things about the film is that you can never really tell what Kumiko is thinking, or what her emotional state is. The film starts with Kumiko walking to a beach and using a map to locate what we expect to be treasure, but in fact is an old VHS copy of Fargo. This is the source of her inspiration to go hunting for the treasure hidden in that film. There are many great scenes and to me this is an instant classic. I particularly like Kumiko's determination and conviction when everyone else is telling her she is mad. She is a really interesting character.