Milocrorze – A Love Story

Semi succesfull kitsch fest gives birth to a cult hero.

Milocrorze (Japan, 2011)

The latest offering in the J-kitsch cannon, helmed by Vermilion Pleasure Night creator Yoshimasa Ishibashi and starring heartthrob Takayuki Yamada in no less than three different roles! Sketchy comedy in four episodes.

The four-part love story collection opens with a pastel colored flashback sequence merely fishing laughs with its main character’s unusual name, Ovreneli Vreneligare (pronounces with your expected heavy katakana-accent). The follow-up, an insane 70’s disco parade with Yamada portraying an overly aggressive relationship counselor Besson Kumagai makes the film.

Somewhat a contrast for the previous story, the third episode takes a turn to slow paced melodrama and action, with Yamada returning as a vengeful samurai. The pic finally closes with adult Vreneligare (Yamada one more time) seeking for his lost childhood love.

Strangely uneven with its mixture of striking musical bits, comedy, and slow paced story pieces, the film does eventually come out better than many of its lackluster competitors (Survive Style 5+, Memories of Matsuko, etc.). That’s not to say especially much, though – while Besson Kumagai is an instant cult hero complete with sexy dancers who follow him anywhere he goes, most other characters are instantly forgettable, including Seijun Suzuki’s (isn’t he dead already?!) senile tattoo artist. Any attempts at “serious” storytelling, which are surprisingly plenty here, merely end up as failed harakiri.

For manga aesthetics appreciation Milocrorze does, nevertheless, have quite a bit to offer, from ultra-colorful visual design to a dull slow motion fight scene posing as a one shot wonder. Had the film been released some 7 years ago, it might have gained considerable gaijin popularity.