There is a gaping black hole in the centre of this film. I’m not exactly sure what caused it, but it’s one of – or a mix of - Kristoffer Borgli’s inability to write a script with due complexity, his emotional immaturity, or myopia when it comes to looking outside of his privilege.
Which is a shame, as it’s wonderfully directed and edited to perfection. And the Zendaya/Pattinson combo is astonishing.
But Borgli fumbles the story. None of the characters…
A young neophyte arrives at wizarding school wearing round glasses. They are immediately bullied by a popular kid with platinum blonde hair.
One of the teachers excessively favours one pupil over the other, and the neophyte wizard has to battle for respect despite being the most naturally talented of all the students.
There's also a sub-class of sentient creatures who are persecuted by the state (and even the so-called 'good guys').
I dunno, some of that felt familiar to me.
“Ok, so the plot is that Kevin Bacon’s character comes to a repressed small town and frees the kids’ sexuality through dance, right?”
“Um, kinda, but there’s no sex”
“Really? Ok, so it’s a makeout film then, yeah? Lots of ‘over the clothes’ making-out?”
“…not really, guy. There’s a lot of half-naked men, if that helps..?”
“Oh! So it’s a gay film? That’s coo…”
“…no, no, sorry. It’s hetero”
“Right: so it’s a sweet, PG-rated love story a bit like…
Jin-Roh has an excellent premise: in an alternate Japan where Germany occupied into the 1950s, a government-sponsored paramilitary unit clashes with an insurgent group called The Sect, whilst simultaneously battling for the unit's existence on a political level.
Despite an initially fascinating setting, and a strong re-imagining and use of the Red Riding Hood myth, the plot gets bogged down in its own twists and counter-twists, focusing on a romance with no passion and sidelining the action.
Full marks for…
