Bitter Honey
FEATURE SLATE
New York Premiere
Akako, a shape-shifting goldfish in the form of a coquettish nymphet clad in diaphanous red dresses (Fumi Nikaido), naively plays the role of erotic muse and adoring pet for an aging writer seeking greatness (Ren Osugi). Things quickly get complicated for the odd couple, however, when the writer’s deceased former student/lover (Yoko Maki) enters the picture as a ghost and helps Akako realize her own desires, activating her agency and frustrating the one-sided male fantasy the writer is so keen to continue. Miles away from the punk-inspired material that distinguished his early career, director Gakuryu (Sogo) Ishii displays the versatility of his talent by transforming this strange supernatural fable adapted from Saisei Muro’s novel into a heavily stylized, sensual comic fantasy full of visual wit and seamless, unpredictable shifts in tone.
| 2016. 82 min. Blu-ray, in Japanese with English subtitles. Directed by Gakuryu Ishii. With Fumi Nikaido, Ren Osugi, Yoko Maki, Kengo Kora, Masatoshi Nagase. "It’s hard to overstate the importance of [Ishii] for Japanese cinema.” —Nippon Connection retrospective, 2013 Flash-back to Classics title: Burst City Part of JAPAN CUTS 2016. |
|
Tickets
$14/$11 seniors & students/$10 Japan Society members
SPECIAL OFFER: Purchase at least 5 tickets for 5 different films and receive $2 off each ticket. Order only at Box Office or by phone (212) 715-1258. Offer not available online. Offer not valid for specially priced tickets on schedule.
Bitter Honey © 2015 "Bitter Honey" Production Committee.
- Friday, July 15, 2016
- 6:30 pm