June 4, 2006

A Stranger of Mine

2005 / Kenji Uchida > Directors who utilize the one-story, multiple perspectives technique generally depend on the gimmick to drive the film. For a change, however, Uchida's A Stranger of Mine gives each storyline enough strength to carry the film on its own without having to resort to "other viewpoints" for support. It's not really a gimmick here, but rather a well-thought out method to preserve holistic continuity without disrupting each character's personal storyline. The end result is a charming film that utilizes loose Japanese stereotypes (i.e., the salaryman, the yakuza) as cornerstones in both keeping our attention as well as entertaining our curiosities.