Steve Rhodes Reviews:
Fireworks

A film review by Steve Rhodes

Steve Rhodes' reviews are presented online as a service to our readers. They remain the property of Steve Rhodes and are not substantially edited by this publication nor do they necessarily represent the views of its publisher, editor or other staff members.

As the married couple, Nishi and Miyuki, gather for an evening of arranging little tiled shapes into various geometric patterns, they share their common bond of love without uttering a single word. The Japanese couple in FIREWORKS enjoy two sinfully rich desserts along with their tea. The solemnity of the moment is broken briefly when Miyuki steals Nishi's cake and leaves him with a single strawberry. This causes smiles to break out in the far corners of their mouths. Both of them are making the most of every second these days since Miyuki is dying of cancer.

Nishi, admittedly, has even more on his mind. A police detective, he is being tracked down by loan sharks who want their interest, or else. Moreover, his partner, Horibe (Ren Osugi), has been shot in the line of duty and lives a life of contemplation and desperation in a wheelchair. Horibe, who laments that "work is all I've ever known" and "all this free time is tough," is as lost as Nishi. The depressed Horibe spends his time sitting by the ocean, staring at the waves.

In an impressive set of contributions to the film, Takeshi Kitano is the director, the writer, and the lead actor (Nishi). A very popular and prolific Japanese actor, his list of credits in the press kit includes seven current weekly television shows. With his ruggedly handsome face, elliptical, dark sunglasses, jet-black hair, black suit and casual shirt, his presence dominates his every scene. Knowing exactly how to direct himself, he lets the camera linger on his delicate array of expressions. With only minute variations in his facial expressions, he manages to convey a wide range of emotions. A tour de force performance, his work is almost matched by the equally impressive and even subtler acting of Kayoko Kishimoto as his wife.

In a movie with sparse dialog—easily half the scenes have none at all—and an absolutely minimal plot, the masterful camerawork by Hideo Yamamoto becomes the film's glue. Sometimes paying respect to the actors, the camera stops and observes without moving, as you would at an art gallery. Other times, in the scenes of intense violence, we will have a look so quick that if you blink you may miss it. In a key slow-motion sequence, choreographed like a minuet, two of Nishi's partners are killed. We come back to this scene several times in flashbacks, representing the horrors of their loss in Nishi's mind.

The overall tone of the picture, thanks especially to Jo Hisaishi's melancholy music of violins, piano, and flute, is one of serenity in the face of upcoming loss. Beneath the characters' almost stoic looks boils a caldron of pent-up emotions that seems ready to explode at a moment's notice like an overheated pressure cooker.

The poignant tale has us eavesdropping on lives of pain and joy. Eventually, it comes to a perfect ending. With the subtlety of the rest of the script, the resolution is not shown, but the staging leaves no doubt.

FIREWORKS runs 1:43. Its scant dialog is in Japanese with English subtitles. It is not rated, but would be an R for brief scenes of strong violence and would be fine for older teenagers.

FIREWORKS is already playing in Europe and Japan and opens throughout the United States March 27.

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