The mesmerizing Kaori Momoi in Sukiyaki Western Django (First Look International)
Yuta is divided up between the Heike, led by the crazy Kiyomori (Koichi Sato), and the Genji, led by the more even-keeled Yoshitsune (Yusuke Iseya), and both clans are riled up by a supposed treasure of gold that's hidden in their neck of the woods. The in rides your classic man with no name (Hideaki Ito), an opportunistic hired gun looking to see who'll pay the most for his services. While he waits for the highest bidder, he takes a shine to a little kid named Heihachi (Ruka Uchida). The boy's grandmother Ruriko (Kaori Momoi delivering the film's most riveting performance) has a colorful past as a female gunslinger while his mom Shizuka (Yoshino Kimura) is a dancer at the local salon. But both women harbor a deep sense of vengeance against the Heike, and it all ends in a massive showdown.
Quentin Tarantino has a blast as a gunslinger with some surprising skills (First Look International)
This a film designed for fans of Miike, spaghetti westerns and Asian cinema. It's highly stylized with some eye-popping production design and some wild action. It's a wild pastiche of pop culture references and in-jokes. But it all looks great and offers a diverting if highly uneven ride. The violence careens from slapsticky and over the top to brutal and disturbing.
Sukiyaki Western Django (rated R for strong violence, including a rape) is probably not a good film for someone who's never seen a Miike film before. But for those of us who have enjoyed his prolific and highly diverse career, this is a fun addition. Listen to our KPBS Film Club of the Air discussion.
Companion viewing: Fistful of Dollars, Yojimbo, Duck You Sucker
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