Review of R100 (2013) by Seth L — 11 Mar 2015

Fifty Shades Of Grey, done Japanese gonzo style!!! Although I haven't watched the former (which seems to play the S&M theme straight and in a flaky mainstream romance kinda way), I'm pretty sure this S&M realist-fantasy send-up offers more, errr, bite, chuckles and winces.

As with most zany Japanese flicks, R100 oozes an abundance of creative juice (yes, there're literally spit-loads of that on-screen) and will send you into a tizzy with its pure unfettered and unapologetic bizarreness that'd have made early Takashi Miike proud.

Add to the mix is a smorgasbord of S&M hijinks, characters who're bonkers and a metafictional sub-plot about what makes crowd-pleasing cinema (that should please cineastes). But the most surprising aspect of R100 is its surprisingly poignant core story that charts the dull monotonous life of a lonely Japanese salaryman who also happens to be a single parent and has a comatose wife.

Devoid of love, numbed by a monotonous life and self-reproachful of his family's tribulations, he seeks "pain" to make himself feel alive once again. These humdrum sequences are aptly shot in dull monochromatic washed-out hues, which also cleverly work in service to the seedy S&M aspects of the plot.

Although R100 offers nothing too deep to mull about, its impish and unpredictable plot is a hoot! If you're up for a fun crazy movie and are totally open-minded, this is it! If you're a virgin to Japanese gonzo cinema, this movie will, ahem, whip you up to speed and errr, show you the ropes!