‘Broken Rage’ Review

Stars: Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Nao Ômor | Written and Directed by Takeshi Kitano

To western audiences, Takeshi Kitano is most likely known for one of two things; his mesmerising presence in Battle Royale, or for hosting the game show Takeshi’s Castle. There is also the chance that some may know him for his supporting role in 2017’s unremarkable Ghost in the Shell… In his native Japan, he is better known as a comedian and TV host, along with being a well-regarded director who was once dubbed as “the true successor” to the legendary Akira Kurosawa.

For his latest film, Broken Rage, Kitano blends together many of these elements for a truly fascinating work. He stars as Mouse, an assassin whose regular routine involves receiving an envelope at his local café. They contain instructions from a mysterious boss for Mouse’s next target, who he executes before moving along in plain sight. This regular cycle is broken up when Mouse is arrested on suspicion of murder, resulting in the detectives (Ichi the Killer co-stars Tadanobu Asano and Nao Ômori) offering him freedom in exchange for Mouse infiltrating a drug ring.

As the plot unfolds, what audiences initially watch is a yakuza action drama with a serious tone. That all changes after a certain point, where the same premise unfolds again, except with a more goofy tone akin to a comedic parody. As a result, the experience of watching Kitano’s latest feels like viewing 1931’s Frankenstein and Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein in quick succession.

What is even more fascinating is how well this idea works, offering a fun experience to see the differences as scenes unfold twice. A character can initially be seen having such swagger in response to perfectly completing his job, yet revisiting the scene transforms him into an accident-prone mess who is near incompetent. The reason it works is because of how devilishly committed Kitano is to the gag, regardless of how silly it may get, and it is clear that he adores being part of such silly scenarios. He is having an absolute blast across the spry 66-minute runtime, and it is infectiously endearing to watch.

While the tonal changes do not hurt the film, it is worth admitting that there are times when the feature feels messy. A segment involving text messages appearing on-screen offers a fun diversion, yet it does feel like filler within a short feature. Despite this, Broken Rage is an entertaining time well spent.

***½  3.5/5

Broken Rage is available on digital platforms now.