Written & Directed By: Masato Harada
Cinematography By: Yoshitaka Sakamoto
Editor: Hirohide Abe
Cast: Hitomi Saso, Yasue Sato, Yukiko Okamoto
The film follows three modern Japanese schoolgirls in Tokyo as they flirt with lecherous old men and dodge the yakuza in the lucrative and sometimes dangerous practice of "enjo kosai" or "date clubs".
Lisa is 16. She is leaving for New York tomorrow at 11 a.m. She saved some money but she would like to get some more - just in case. As she tries to make money by shooting a video for girls-in-school-uniforms-demanding men she loses everything except her ticket. She meets two high school girls, Raku and Jonko, professional call-girls, and spends the last night with them trying to make up the money that was stolen from her.
This is more like a after school special of the dangers of escorting yourself, not sexually but fetishlike as there seems to be a big market for Japanese men to rent time with underage school girls. Not for sex necessarily, but just as a companion for meals and lifestyle. Which to me truly shows the isolation and loneliness a lot of males feel even in a over populated area like Japan. Even though the film feels more like a documentary with it’s hand held camera and digital filmmaking aesthetic.
The film shows a bunch of different girls and their clients. It delves into why the girls do it, Which seems to be that they need money to satisfy their materialistic obsessions of having the hottest and newest gear on the streets. Plus it seems like they can’t go anywhere and find peace, Since they are always propositioned by men. Who will also just have fun taking them shopping. The film gives a view into this phenomena. While also exposing us to various Japanese culture.
The main story threads follow 2 girls in particular one we see the innocence of hereafter she goes home from the job and the jobs that she gets seem to get more and more creepier, including a nightmare client that is as scary as anything you’ll see in a horror movie, yet here since it is realistic more scary because you can’t exactly predict the outcome. The other girl is warned and questioned by the yakuza since these girls are making a dent in there prostitution earnings, There is only one character who tries to understand the pastime. He seems to be the only decent moral guy in the film.
It’s a interesting film. I guess i was expecting something different. Something more hard edged. While the film is fascinating and I would suggest it to anyone interested in exploring this culture. It just wasn’t something for me to really get into or excited about.
GRADE: C+
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