9 SOULS - DVD review

With "9 Souls," writer/director Toshiaki Toyoda creates a surreal film that can best be described as visual poetry. The film follows a group of nine convicts who not only escape from their prison, but try to escape from their wayward lives. Michiru is a young man who has spent most of his life quietly shut inside his room. Then one day, he murders his father and is thrown into a cell with nine other men.

One prisoner, Yamamoto the self-proclaimed "Counterfeit King", flips out and brags about a time capsule buried at an elementary school near Mt. Fuji. As the guards take him away, the others discover a mouse hole that takes them through a sewer system and to freedom.

The group's de-facto leader is Torakichi, who is serving time for the murder of his son. Not surprisingly, he and Michiru develop a connection, which first comes out when Michiru tries to kill Torakichi. Others along for the ride are: Kazuma (a former member of a biker gang who murdered his fellow members), Shiratori (a dwarf doctor who is a master escapist. This has a double meaning as he is in prison for assisting terminally ill patients end their lives), Shisido (an orphan who started his criminal life as a juvenile delinquent), Suwuratari (a drug dealer looking to get back with his ex-girlfriend), Kamei (a former porn star who also wants to reunite with his love), Ushiyama (a gentle oaf), and finally Inui (a nerdy and epileptic bomb expert).

What follows is a metaphorical journey sprinkled with absurdist humor. In a not so subtle joke, the nine lost souls steal an R.V. with the words "Lucky Hole." Later, they discover the Lucky Hole is a strip club literally in the middle of nowhere. Other strange occurrences include them trying to have intercourse with a sheep and putting on terrible disguises. The scene where they eat lunch in drag is completely ridiculous, especially considering they fool no one. The highlight is certainly seeing Shiratori dressed as a pig-tailed schoolgirl.

The story carries along in a somewhat illogical way, which helps to accentuate the need for these characters to escape their dismal realities. As their journey proceeds, each member splits off from the group to find that their former loved ones, family members, and society in general is less than willing to take them back. Only too late do the Nine Souls realize that the only family they need is each other.

The filmmaker doesn't really say anything new with the film. However, he does say it with a stylish flair. The film is put together with a series of incredibly well-composed shots. The movie opens with a sprawling aerial shot of the city as buildings disappear one by one. The prisoners are clad in white jumpsuits and there are many shots where we see one of them drenched in blood.

VIDEO:
The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. A few specks pop up here and there, but overall the transfer looks great. The colors are sharp which helps to highlight the beautiful cinematography.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Japanese with a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. The movie mostly relies on dialogue and music, both come in crisp and clear.

EXTRAS:
The main extra is an audio commentary track by Japanese film expert, Tom Mes. He gives a lot of information about the film and the people who worked on it. There are a few moments of silence and he does fall into the trap of many other commentaries (describing what's happening on screen).

You also get two interviews with Toshiaki Toyoda. One runs 38 minutes and the other 6 and a half. You also get the theatrical trailer, filmographies, and promotional material.

FILM VALUE:
The idea of characters trying to escape their lives has been done many times and better than in "9 Souls" ("The 400 Blows" for example or Cassavetes' "Shadows"). Still, the movie has its own sensibilities through a combination of surrealism and lyrical composition.