The Apology
King (Shazai No Osuma):
Written by Kankuro Kudo, directed by Nobuo Mizuta. Starring:
Sadao Abe, Mao Inoue, Masaki Okada, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Machiko Ono. Running
Time: 128 minutes.
Rating: 3/4
We’ve all had those moments when
we’ve had to apologize, and we’ve also all had moments where we expected an
apology in turn. Maybe we got it, maybe
we didn’t. Maybe when we said sorry, we
meant it, and did whatever we needed to do to set things right. And maybe we were lying through our teeth,
counting down the minutes between breaking off the obligatory remorseful eye
contact and rushing back home to catch the latest episode of CSI: Fargo Breaking Homeland. I certainly know that I have never enjoyed apologizing,
especially when I am fully aware of my guilt.
For douchefaces like me, thankfully,
there is Yuzuru Kuroshima (Sadao Abe), a man obsessed with finding the perfect
apology and sporting a haircut that would make Coconut Head weep with
despair. Burned (literally) by a
careless ramen cook and unable to get the simple, straight-up apology he
sought, he has devoted his life to perfecting the art of Dogeza (a very formal apology in Japan), so that he can help others
fully shed themselves of whatever guilt they may be lugging around on their
shoulders. At his side is Noriko (Mao
Inoue), a young law student who agrees to work for him after a particularly
passionate apology of his saves her from having to work as a call girl. Together, they seek to find the perfect
apology for, in turn, a perverted and sexist underwear designer, the celebrity
parents of a (seemingly) violent actor, a work-obsessed lawyer guilty over his
treatment of his daughter, and literally the entire nation of Japan after a
group of filmmakers and diplomats manage to offend a major trading partner on
just about every conceivable level.
It’s a film that runs solely on its
own vibrant energy, and while it doesn’t build up quite enough to fully sustain
itself all the way through, Apology King
is a fun, fun ride from start to finish.
The director, Nobuo Mizuta, gave a short introduction to the film at its
premier, and even with the necessity of a translator, the bubbling, impish
humor that clearly underlies each scene shone through in how he carried
himself. From the start, we are treated
to a dressing-down of the Japanese habit of apologizing far too often; at the
start, Yuzuru tells Noriko that the best way to apologize is right away, even
before you know for sure if you did something wrong. Overreacting to your mistakes is always best;
when done fervently enough, the person starts to feel uncomfortable about being
deferred to so much, and will forgive much easier. And for maximum effect, be sure to perfectly
time hitting the ground with your forehead if the full Dogeza- a formal, hands-and-face-on-the-ground apology bow- is
needed. We are, however, also reminded
in a few thoughtful scenes that, even when they’re overdone, truly sincere
apologies can go a long way towards making people’s lives a little bit
happier.
Apologies are not the only comedic
source utilized though- sexism, obsession with work, the movie business
(ironically), government officials, celebrity gossip culture, and even some
subtle differences between Japanese and Western culture are all brought in to
be smacked around one way or another.
The linchpin pulling all these disparate elements together is Yuzuru, whose boyish exuberance makes a functioning character out of what, in a
great many hands, could easily be a disaster of a lead. He’s excellently foiled by everyone around
him, essentially all of whom are made the straight man in his presence by
default.
The absurdity of each circumstance
he and his “patients” find themselves in builds itself up into an extended
climactic gag that will either make or break the film for many viewers. Having thought about it for several days, I’m
still not entirely sure if I thought the joke was genuinely funny, but darn if
they don’t hammer it in deep, and I can’t help but admire the commitment that
takes. It follows one of the more
debatable traditions of comedy, namely that anything can become funny if you do
it long and determinedly enough.
It won’t make you cry, and it won’t
make your heart throb. I never fell in
love with the characters like I did with last year’s Key of Life. But it will make you laugh, a lot, and that’s
more than enough.
Next
film: Like Father, Like Son
-Noah
Franc
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