Survive Style 5+ (2004) User Reviews

We're never gonna survive, unless we get a little crazy

[pmdawn · 8/10 · 13 August 2008]

Just like Seal's 90's hit, "in a world full of people, there's always someone to fly". I would describe this movie as both an expression and example of the people who 'try to fly' - and they are usually considered crazy in society. They try different, previously unheard of things, and sometimes it's genius and sometimes it's a dud. But hey, at least they try.

This movie is absurdingly complicated in a first viewing, yet it delivers with, yes, absolute style. On a second viewing the themes become more apparent, and this is a movie you'll want to see (at least) twice.

Five stories are intertwined, sometimes subtly and others obviously, Tarantino/Ritchie mode, and they all deal with crazy stuff. This is a visual and stylish delight, as well as little bit of a mindtrip. There's symbolism if you look hard enough, but the joy of the movie is the way it deals with different themes - homosexuality, identity, love and death - and shows us that life is indeed a little bit crazy.

Recommended. 8/10

Absurdity -- Neo-Tokyo Style

[jimboduck · 8/10 · 27 April 2006]

Some people out there may imagine the Japanese of Tokyo to be stoic and colorless like Vulcans. To some extent, that is how they really are. The buildings are gray, and if it's overcast, everything kind of blends together into a formalized drone. There is more paperwork added each day, another speech to sleep through, and the shuffle begins anew. Add the business formalities, and society can get very stiff over there.

That is one side of Japan.

SURVIVE STYLE 5 is the other side. Somewhere buried beneath the hard samurai exterior, the Japanese are the silliest, flashiest people on the face of the earth. Just watch the game shows on TV to see what I mean. It takes the slightest spark to transform a crowd of adults into a crowd of Pokemon monsters. Add this side of Japan, and every conversation at the workplace has a Comic Book BANG! POW! and HORRA!

The movie features five story lines (1) A hip to be square family of four (2) A girl that won't stay buried (3) An assassin on a hit job (4) A hypnotist (5) A traveling band of fools in a van. Here's a puzzle for you -- what is the common element that connects these 5 story lines? Beats me. Maybe it's the STYLE.

SURVIVE STYLE 5 is like a multi-colored salad falling to the kitchen floor in slow motion. Everyone stands agape as the orange leaves scatter like purple rain. Most memorable are the vivid colors and extreme silliness. Take for example the absurd scene where a typical nuclear family is rocking out in the car on their way to a hypnosis show. All four are bobbing their heads to punk rock and shouting American profanities in unison.

A cohesive story would have propelled this movie into greatness. But because it's so scatterbrained, it can safely be filed in the "two-hour music video" drawer. You might want to display it at the entrance to your home on special occasions -- like an Andy Warhol photograph. It can serve as a reminder of how absurd the world can get. "Yes, the world did have a story to tell once upon a time. It made absolutely no sense, but it had such a beautiful Christmas Tree!"

If SURVIVE STYLE 5 is your cup of tea, I recommend Taste of Tea, released in 2004 starring Tadanobu Asano.

JY

Jimboduck-dot-com

Style over function.

[politic1983 · 6/10 · 8 December 2020]

The tagline for Gen Sekiguchi's feature debut "Survive Style 5+" is 'What is your function?' the same question footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones' hired killer puts to everyone he meets. This could, however, be a direct question to the film itself, given that it is particularly successful in being about nothing.

Well, what it's all about is five stories, connected by the fact that they all have the pleasure of meeting central midfield hard man Vinnie Jones, working with his interpreter (the similarly built and shaved Yoshiyoshi Arakawa) in Japan as a hired killer for an agency. Some of his meetings are intentional, though others are unfortunate to find themselves in his presence.

The most notable story is that of Ishigaki (Tadanobu Asano) who is beaten and force-fed enormous quantities of food by his seemingly demure wife (Reika Hashimoto) on a daily basis. As a result, on a daily basis, Ishigaki has to kill her, bury her and then return home to find her sat in a new and increasingly interesting costume, much to his dismay. He turns to the British hitman to put a stop to his Groundhog Day.

Second is advertising exec Yoko (Kyoko Koizumi), amused by her own ideas for adverts as they come to mind. She is in a relationship with the arrogant hypnotist Aoyama (Hiroshi Abe), but his self-aggrandising leads her to request the foreign killer is brought to Japan.

The killer takes care of him on stage, midperformance. This has terrible consequences for Kobayashi (Ittoku Kishibe), who Aoyama has just hypnotised to believe he is a chicken. Kobayashi's family are left to take him home in his fowl state and learn to adapt their lives to a father who no longer thinks he is a man.

The final story revolves around three burglars who break into the Kobayashi's home when they are at the hypnotism show. But they are little more than a lazy group of slackers chatting idly, getting comfortable in the home. Lounging in a sauna, their clowning annoys the hired killer who is there to relax and he reacts accordingly.

One thing that is immediately noticeable about "Survive Style 5+" is its style. From a director of adverts, it is clear quite a bit of money has been spent on set and costume design, as well as the cast. With bright colours and outlandish designs, the film's origins could be anywhere and nowhere at the same time. The Kobayashi's home feels like a suburban American ideal and Ishigaki's house has the feel of a department store or boutique hotel, giant in size in a secluded forest. Nothing here seems to be happening in the real world.

In that sense, loosely, "Survive Style 5+" is pure cinema, in than it offers little context or narrative beyond what is shown on screen. But rather than allowing for audience interpretation, this is more a case of style over substance. But there is a lot of entertainment in that style.

This is more like an episode of "The League of Gentlemen", being that this is a collection of recurring sketches that are linked by location and character overlap, but lacks the cohesive storylines that become more and more intertwined. It also has its fair share of exaggerated characters, as well as being genuinely funny in parts.

While all very tongue-in-cheek, Yoko's ad ideas are amusing - in a madness of Japanese advertising kind of a way - perhaps taking inspiration from Sekiguchi's career in advertising; and the will-they-won't-they kiss scenes between Morishita (Yoshiyuki Morishita) and J (Jai West) repeatedly soundtracked by the word 'come' raises a smile. But Jones and Arakawa steal the show with Jones' brashness and Arakawa's whispered translations in his ear, even translating his own words in this manner.

The ending does offer some sort of concluding points in Kobayashi's family learning to live with his new condition out of love, with his son seeing him as a source of inspiration in adjusting to being a chicken, trying to fly. When the hitman finally delivers on Ishigaki's wish, he had just started to rebuild his relationship with his wife, so her demise if filled with a gentle sadness when it finally comes.

"Survive Style 5+" is an entertaining mishmash that's easy to enjoy and dip in-and-out of. But it is not more than the sum of its parts. With this and a handful of shorts to his name, Sekiguchi certainly hasn't proved the feature film is suited to his efforts - even this features a number of adverts. Like an advert, this briefly entertains, but in the long term, this isn't his function.

politic1983.home.blog

Uebercool and surreal Japanese pop culture overdose.

[lynxxx · 3 February 2005]

Survive Style 5+ is without a doubt one of the most bizarre, beautiful , original and over the top films I have seen in the past few years. I couldn't help but smile throughout the entire movie. It's simply unlike anything you have ever seen before. Mindblowing decors, surreal dialog, commercial breaks, hit men & hypnotists. It really is an amazing collection of scenes that are edited and interwoven in a unique way. The oil-painting-like colors and completely insane soundtrack alone are worth it. Add some of the "coolest" actors: Tadanobu Asano and Vinnie Jones and you have yourself one of the most original and entertaining movies coming out of the far east in a long long time.

Broadcasting the laws of life through deliberately wild entertainment

[PiranianRose · 9/10 · 1 May 2006]

First, a brief advice for those who haven't seen the film: expect bizarreness, randomness, random bizarreness, exaggerated randomness, and exaggerated bizarreness. However, beyond the exaggerated random bizarreness, the film doth have meanings that we can take away. It has style and substance, albeit a lot of style. FINAL VERDICT: highly recommended if you don't mind bizarre exaggerated randomness.

The rest of my review provides an analysis of the meaning behind the lushly colorful sets and the exaggerated bizarreness. It will be most helpful to readers who have already viewed the film.

As first glance, "Survival Style 5+" would seem a totally bizarre film-going experience. Indeed, few movies can claim to feature the following exaggerated acts:

-a hot wife who visualizes a complete "speedy" internet commercial in her head, which uses olympic sprinters to compete in how "speedy" they can cum on the field by having sex.

-a dead wife who breathes fire to light her husband's cigarette.

-a middle-aged father who permanently turns into a bird by undergoing hypnosis.

-an executive who answers an "important" phone call from his wife during business hours; "What is it?" He asks, and then his face shows great concern as he repeats after his wife: "What, the bathroom lights are out!"

-an assassin asking a cooked broccoli what is its function in life.

These are just a few examples to gear up your expectations for the randomness in the film. However as the film progresses, it becomes evident that it has meanings more than meet the eye. Why when the man wants to kill his wife, he can never succeed, but as soon as he retracts the intention, she is really dead? Why when the same wife cooks a full meal for the man, he is not pleased, but at the end he is happy to accept a less full meal from her? Why does the woman in commercial business run after her lost recordings, only to stop before she reaches it with a sigh: "I'm so stupid?"

To me, this film illustrates the basic lessons learned in life through these wildly random events, and it all ties up at the end. The wife is not able to please the man with her cooking at first because she is feeding him what she wants to feed him, not what he wants to eat. Later, when she adjusts the food to his liking, both he and she are more satisfied. At first, the man is repeatedly killing his wife because he is a killer and that's what he is supposed to do. Even though he fails every time, he just repeats the same thing over and over again without thinking. He can never succeed killing her because the more we want something, the harder it seems to obtain. However when he finally has no intention of killing her any more, she is taken from him forever. How ironic. This incident also illustrates the inevitability of consequences from our actions: the man had hired a hit-man to kill his wife, and it comes back to haunt him. Therefore the man's action is responsible for his wife's death.

Furthermore, the woman in commercial business is a workaholic. She has no personal life, and her husband detests her work. On Christmas eve, she is running with all her strength to retrieve missing work. As she races past the holiday decorations and Santa on the street, it finally hit her: she has been living in vain; on this day of celebration, she has nothing to celebrate and no one to celebrate with. And what about the band of thieves? During a near-death situation, two of them finally come out with their feelings, reinforcing the notion that tragedy brings people closer. As for the bird dad, he didn't turn into a bird without a purpose. It is a statement about coming to terms with who we are and who our neighbors are; we need to co-exist with people who are different from us, and it begins with accepting who we are and who they are.

Although this review has concentrated on the film's meaning, I must take a moment to comment on the wildly imaginative visual style. This movie is a visual feast full of vibrant colors. Along the same style, the film definitely has its share of random, exaggerated situations. Why would the director take this exaggerated approach to illustrate the lessons of life, you might ask. The answer lies in the commercial expert Yoko's reply to her boss' criticism about the offbeat nature of her presentation: "You have to make something entertaining. Otherwise, people will not watch it," she says. Her bosses are pressing her to make another dull and straight-forward presentation; they think that spoon-feeding the audience is the only way for the us to grasp their intended meaning. Well, I am confident that most people who see this film will agree that Yoko's offbeat commercials would be more effective than any boring standard commercial. By taking the same offbeat, exaggerated approach to make this film, the director is trusting our ability to grasp the essence of his intentions, and we should be thankful for such filmmakers who have enough faith in their audience to take chances with a deliberately creative offering.

A colorful and tragic black comedy.

[trippycheez · 10/10 · 21 April 2005]

How to describe the experience of watching SURVIVE STYLE 5+?! The look of the movie alone was enough to blow me away: it features fanciful costumes that look nothing like any clothes I've ever seen before, sets crammed with all manner of curios, and a use of color which is simply outrageous. Imagine WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN's aesthetic mixed with the texture of a Dali painting as filtered through a commercial for bubblegum. Then put it on overdrive and string it with Christmas lights...and you will only have begun to envision the glorious assault of brightness and fashion that is SURVIVE STYLE 5+.

Fortunately, the movie's abundance of style is matched by its substance. The plot concerns 5 different main characters whose stories become intertwined in a variety of improbable, violent, and hilarious ways. We meet a song-and-dance hypnotist, a businessman who thinks he's a bird, a zombie wife who fires her arm off like a cannon, and a British hit-man who shows up periodically to ask "WOT IS YOUR FUNCTION IN LOIF?" before going nuts and stabbing people. All that, and I'm only describing the first half hour or so...

Despite its absurd and surreal tone, SURVIVE STYLE 5+ makes complete logical sense. Never once does it veer into the no man's land of "weirdness for the sake of weirdness." The plot meanders all over the place, but there IS a method to its madness: a POINT to it all, a moral to figure out and mull over. In this regard, SURVIVE STYLE 5+ outclasses just about every movie of its type, by which I mean the recent rash of movies with multiple narratives that come together coincidentally. SURVIVE STYLE 5+ is definitely better than HAPPINESS. It may be better than PULP FICTION. MAGNOLIA shouldn't even be mentioned in the same sentence with it. Really, there is no movie I can adequately compare with SURVIVE STYLE 5+ because it seems like the first film of an entirely new genre.

It's hilarious, too. Several days after viewing the movie, I still find myself walking down the street, remembering a funny scene or line, and laughing wildly to myself about it.

So do what you can to see it on the big screen, then pray for a decent DVD release. You will NOT be disappointed.

I guess not many people know Vinne Jones.........

[nemo183 · 7/10 · 10 August 2005]

Hey, let's just get back these IMDb reviews under control.

This is an enjoyable, multi-levelled film that will particularly appeal to a European and American audience - just because it is so different.

However, in view of the whole range of current Japanese/Chinese/Tiawanese film output, anyone giving this a ten star rating should get out more. Especially those people (and you know who you are) have written a "review" which is a word for word quote from the DVD cover.

Having watched it twice, I enjoyed it. It's got style, and originality. It's really watchable. But, it's a bit like candy-floss - it appears more substantial than it is. In some circumstances, it would acquire a cult following of those wishing to explain each and every scene, in infinite depth.

There are some great performances. Unfortunately, Vinne Jones does not provide one of these. In his previous, and more honourable career, as a soccer player, he achieved a certain degree of fame as a last stop, hatchett man defender.

In his retirement, he was superb in his cameo role in "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" However, his role in this film is just a joke. Now, I quite understand if he was cast as a joke - this would lend a degree of irony to his role. But, I just don't think that was the intention.

So, in conclusion, watching this will not be a wasted 2 hours of your life - but if you haven't already seen 3-Iron, Oldboy, Immortal, Sympathy for Mr Vengeance or Casshern, why not do yourself a favour, and leave this as the light - but substantial - piece of fluff it is?

Film Style 10+!

[kmevy · 10/10 · 1 September 2006]

Definitely one of my favorites!

There are so many creative and innovative ideas and genuine rip-off's of clichés. A real fun to watch. And the stunning art style ... never seen a so detailed and thought-out flick like this one. Even when you watching this film a second time you still might get lost in figuring out all these details.

Music was also perfectly used; a 100% match with the art style (something like Rock/Pop ...(?).. well, you'll get it when you see it) Even the slower and moderate background music (simple piano chords), which was used in the middle of the film for quite a long time, was also a consummate choice.

The highlight, alongside the art style, of this movie was definitely characters and acting. Every one of them really stand out. Some of the reviews complained about a cliché-kind of presentation of Vinnie Jones. You know, this was intentionally; hinting at the cliché image of Gaikokujin (foreigners) in japan. It is just an amazing performance of the entire cast.

If i happen to see this movie presented in an art exhibition, i wouldn't be surprised at all. A real masterpiece, though some might only like it, but not love it, as i do ... well, too bad! ;)

WTF did I just watch?

[siderite · 6/10 · 9 February 2019]

I looked at all reviews and not one had this title, which I think describes best the movie. I understand it's supposed to be an absurdist movie, but it's just absurd. It's like the entire film was created by splicing together the outlandishly funny ideas of the commercial writer in it. Maybe that's what the story is supposed to be: the flow of images that the two adolescents get to have in their brain as they listen to the bland recording of the ideas. But the result is irredeemably bland, too. Just senseless scene after senseless scene, edited together to have a modicum of sense and look cool, but constructing no meaning.

Probably only people who watch this kind of movies watch this kind of movies. It's like a video Rorschach test. A splash of moving color that will only make sense in the context of a human brain. I gave it a 6 because it's 5+, get it? Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have watched it.

How to be surreal, satirical, and still maintain a high level of "fun" in your film

[UniqueName76 · 10/10 · 8 January 2007]

What is Survive Style 5+? One of the best films I have ever seen in my life. This film is about 5 ( or more, you decide) styles of living, depicted in a seemingly haphazard and bewildering form. The use of song, colors, cinematography will ensure most people have no excuse BUT to be captivated by every scene. Even those that simply miss out on all the symbolism and allegories for every day life will find this movie highly entertaining simply from the excellent performances and superb overall presentation.

The movie opens up with a man, who's apparently murdered his wife, burying her in the forest with a couple of meaningful comments about murder itself. That serious moment opens up a floodgate of seemingly subconscious events and comedy that is meant to jar you from the underlying essence of the movie for a moment. The film introduces other "styles of life", for example a group of bumbling burglar teens, a hit-man (Vinnie Jones) and his translator, an advertising guru who thinks every think she makes is the pinnacle of hilarity, and a family that apparently has a few issues of their own to deal with.

Each layer of bizarre is followed by another layer of bizarre, until the ending will most likely leave you with your jaw on the floor. The great thing about SS5+ is that deep within the layers of apparently non-sensical comedy and action, there is a meaning to unearth, most people will come up with their own ideas as to "what it all means" and THAT is the best aspect of SS5+, enjoy.

Weird and wonderful

[p-leentfaar · 7/10 · 2 February 2005]

By now we have grown accustomed to multiple story lines. Not only that, we seem to be expecting a bit more from these type of movies. Whenever a director starts on such a project, he knows it is going to be compared with the likes of PULP FICTION or 21 GRAMS. Unfair perhaps, but a challenge. SURVIVE STYLE 5+ is unique in the fact that it does not give the viewer time to compare. It is a roller-coaster ride from start to finish and there are only a few moments to catch your breath. Central figure is a man who is trying to kill his wife, but fails miserably and hires a foreign hit-man (Vinnie Jones). Then there's a happy family that visits a show from an arrogant hypnotist, a woman that has crazy commercial ideas and a bunch of friends that cause disaster wherever they go. They all cross paths off course, but not in a genius kind of way. Sekiguchi clearly made this film to entertain and in that it succeeds brilliantly. It is the most hilarious movie since THE BIG LEBOWSKY.

Incredible, original, and daring

[Trelloskilos · 8/10 · 3 April 2008]

I'm not sure how to even begin a critique of this film. The best analogy that I can think of is a bit like the first time I ever went into a sushi bar. - It wasn't just that the food that I ate was completely different to a palate more used to hamburgers or fish & chips, but that the rules were different too. Instead of having a waitress write down the order, I picked out colourful dishes off a conveyor belt, and ate some wonderfully exotic food. All of this wrapped up in a culture that was decidedly Japanese....and I loved it!!

Exactly the same is true of Survive Style 5. It was completely different from the usual movies I watch, the rules were broken, the experience was extremely colourful, wonderfully exotic, it was decidedly Japanese...and I loved it too!!

The film focuses on several story lines, from the fairly tame (the sexual confusion of a group of young friends), to the surreal (the murdered wife who keeps returning to beat up her husband in ever more bizarre ways), to the absurd (the man stuck in a trance thinking he's a bird after the hypnotist is killed)...and beyond.

The first thing that struck me was the brightness & colour of the film. The words 'kitsch' do not do the sets justice, with big pink fluffy 'Hello Kitty' cuteness or neon manga-esquire style. The movie is not drab in the slightest! Also the film wears its 'Japaneseness' on its sleeve, which is further highlighted by the inclusion of the very un-Japanese Vinnie Jones (playing a hit-man who asks the question "What is your purpose in life?" indiscriminately to air stewardesses and pieces of broccoli).

Amongst all this mish-mash of colour, lunacy, absurdity, and surrealism lies a a big heart. While almost completely disparate in some places, the movie ends in a surprisingly satisfying manner (In fact, it's one of the best endings I could imagine for a movie so off-the-wall).

Maybe the film won't be to everybody's taste, especially those who really do not want to try something different, but what can I say? I like to try something new once in a while, and if you're like me, this might be a tasty plate of Futomaki for you!

With style like this, who needs substance?

[cherold · 7/10 · 1 May 2017]

SS5+ is a blast. A series of bizarre, interconnected stories set in a world where everyone has the world's craziest, most colorful decorator, the movie is weird and funny and quite entertaining. And yet, at the end it left me feeling let down, asking the question that is the obsession of one character: What's your function?

While the conceit of the story is that it is five interconnected stories - a man's attempt to kill his indestructible wife, a family disrupted by a hypnotist, a trio of burglars wandering around, a couple of hit men doing their thing, and an advertising copywriter coming up with weird ideas, it is truer to say that the first story is the main one and the others are all feeder stories.

By this, I mean that only the first story really stands, for the most part, on its own. The hypnotist story is also sort of well developed(and Hiroshi Abe is hilarious as the hypnotist), but the burglars and the copywriter are peripheral and the assassins is not so much a story as a device to connect everything together.

The one true story, a man trying to kill his wife, is great. It is surreal and wildly imaginative. Character development is weak, with characters doing what the story needs rather than what seems integral, but it all works pretty well.

But whenever the focus was elsewhere I just wanted that story to come back. Everything else felt sketched out, and the intercutting, while sometimes entertaining, seemed to have little purpose beyond being cool.

Is there a point to all this? Maybe, but there's nothing about the movie that makes me want to ponder on it. It's just cool and weird. And while a lot of reviewers here are acting like this movie is the weirdest movie ever, there are better weird Japanese movies out there like The Happiness of the Katakuris and Paprika.

Still, if you like really weird movies (and I do), this is a must see. I just wish it felt like a cohesive piece instead of a roughly tossed salad.

A half-baked and over-baked absurdist confection

[rch427 · 5/10 · 1 October 2010]

First, the obligatory disclaimer: I'm a big fan of Japanese cinema as well as absurdist film, and count among my favorites such as "Shimotsuma Monogatari" ("Kamikaze Girls"), "The Happiness of the Katakuris" and "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl". Significantly, many of the actors from those three Japanese films appear in "Survive Style 5+", which helps boost it above ordinary comic fare.

Also giving "Survive Style 5+" a head start are some truly promising premises, wacky characterizations and art direction like a nuclear explosion in a crayon factory. So where does the film go wrong? It never goes anywhere with its stories, and it takes forever in doing so. One might well imagine the writer and some buddies sitting around, smoking pot and kicking ideas, jotting them down as they come. But so little is done to develop the ideas, it's very difficult to remain engaged.

Even absurdist movies need to have some substance (such as Terry Gilliam's more adventurous films); without that substance, it never rises above sketch comedy. Instead of substance, the filmmakers give us repetition, or mawkishness. A serious irritation is the inclusion of far-too-loud soundtrack music from far-too-little-talented musicians. Brevity is the very soul of wit, and nothing proves this -- one way or the other -- like comedic films. But the director seems to be so enamored with some of his plot lines that he keeps them on life support far longer than they remain viable.

It really is a shame. With better development of those inventive ideas, without the pointless and emotionally false "touching" scenes, without the music and with about 20 minutes of flab cut out, "Survive Style 5+" could've been right up there with the best in absurdist Japanese comedies. Instead, I found it increasingly unpleasant and lifeless, to the point where I couldn't wait for it to end.

A refreshing change of pace from the classical Hollywood style

[jesus_ninja_pants · 10/10 · 5 April 2007]

I am not usually a big fan of experimental films but this movie is now one of my all time favorites. This movies has everything; action, comedy, horror, romance, philosophy... you name it. With 5 original and different stories to follow, even if you don't like one aspect of this film, another is sure to catch your fancy.

Being a Japanese film this movie has the trademark Japanese type humor, so if you are into random comedy, you should enjoy this film. Even if thats not your style of humor I recommend you check out this movie just as a refreshing change from the typical Hollywood style

Most important though, just have fun with this film; I have read reviews that try to analyze and put meaning to the different events of this film. Why do some people always need to find a moral to every story? I suppose there are ideas to be taken away from this movie, but don't try and analyze it too much, just enjoy it.

More like this one!

[InzyWimzy · 10/10 · 1 August 2005]

Someone keeps asking me, "What's this movie about?" SS5+ is one of those that defies to be labeled...just the way I like it.

Tadanobu Asano, a literal jack of all trades, is the main reason I wanted to see this. From an infamous masochist king known as Kakihara to low-key Kenji in the visually stunning Last Life in the Universe, Asano always manages to display, not only a wide range, but he performs on several different levels. In this one, you can't help feel anticipation for his scenes and trust me: they're worth the wait!!!You are then presented to an elegant buffet of avid brights, darks and color schemes which makes his home seem like Lewis Carroll's summer house. Reika Hashimoto and Asano (phenom chem!) had me mind scrapingly perplexed as to what would unfold next.

The rest of the cast all play their roles well (and with fun) and the intertwining events keep the ball rolling with an occasional rest stop for character development and goodfeel. There's a dark humor in this film which gives it it an odd, adderol driven, yet refreshingly original style. Also, a high bpm soundtrack gives it some additional high octane for the trip. I will have to keep an eye out for Gen Sekiguchi's future films or other works by Taku Tada 'cause Survive Style 5+ has warped my way of thinking – in a good way!

Survival

[sol- · 7/10 · 27 March 2016]

Five tales of desperate individuals in contemporary Japan gradually intertwine in this bizarre independent film. In one tale, a man repeatedly kills his wife, only for her to return from the dead with increasing supernatural powers each time. In another tale, an advertising executive tries to make the funniest commercial ever, but keeps failing. In yet another tale, three teens on a crime spree gradually accept their latent homosexuality. In a further tale, a financially troubled father is permanently hypnotised into acting like a bird after his hypnotist is murdered. Finally, Vinnie Jones as a hit-man provides the link between the first four tales. The film is very well edited with lots of attention to music and sound; the ad exec's eyelids flutter to the music beats, Jones taps his feet and fingers in rhythm and so on. The brightly coloured sets (especially the wife killer's home) are great too. For all its ambition though, 'Survive Style 5+' is incredibly uneven. The ad exec tale falls flat but the other segments work for wildly different reasons. The film is whimsical and touching when focused on the hypnotised man and how his doting kids cope; it is darkly comic when focused on the wife-killer; and it is intriguing one when focused on the closeted friends who seem on the verge of spilling all. What exactly what the title means is anybody's guess, and it is hard to think of any overall themes that link the tales together. The film is, however, refreshingly offbeat and uncanny with nary a boring moment to be had. The way the wife-killer and hypnotised man's tales link together at the end is also simply sublime.

poorly intertwined but you shouldn't care!

[rqwxyz · 8/10 · 12 April 2007]

There are 5 stories that somehow connect but not really intertwine (this is the deceptive part), however, I liked all of them, the movie puts a especial emphasis in bizarreness, but it doesn't go too far.

Wife and Husband- This is in fact the fantastic part of the movie, the silentness of the wife is the main tool for getting you into that sweet vacillation of whether things are real or not, but there are lot more, as the costumes she wears every time (Which reminds me to a movie knows as "héroe" by this latitudes) and the phase-shifts. Here we also have the sweet dose of violence.

Killers - I got pretty surprised when I ran into "Big Chris"! The contrast between Jones and the translator was way bizarre. There's not much going on here, since both of them are like a lone functional character.

Birdman- The "strange" vector of the film, yet the cutest, Keiichi's perspective keeps the frankness of children accurately. I LOVED the teacher scene.

Yoko the Creative- Oh god, Yoko's ideas for commercials are so unfunny they become funny, and Yoko is funny herself. Really laugh with the way she laughs and with the wild winking when she's having her "afflati". Here I may mark two characters I would had LOVED to see a little bit more of = The café girls. The accident girl was so funnily pathetic, and that were really strengthened by the uncaring friend. I wonder what would have happened to her if she'd got a third scene!!

The Housebreakers = And again we find a bizarre contrast, this time between the "ugly" and the "sexy" burglars. This story takes little of the film's length and it is also the most disconnected one, but adds a funky "sexuality" note.

And to finish, I liked the music.

This is a fun movie and very infectous

[dcoke25 · 7/10 · 17 December 2023]

I really love this movie, personally like a 9 out of 10, but it is super JAPANESE. It's live action Anime of the most absurdist kind. It tries to do the Tarantino thing, but is too bubble gum pop for that that it misses. With that said, the 5 storylines that are here are fun to watch even if their connecting thread at the end isn't as logical or well thought out as I'm sure the director and writer wanted it to be.

The issue with this is that it's literally in its title; "STYLE" with little substance. It's a joke for a joke's sake without care for joke structure. Let's throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. THANKFULLY for it, since it's so kinetic and fast. Gives off the illusion that a lot of it sticks, especially if you like Japanese humor. They're very Tex Avery over there, who was my favorite Looney Tunes Director. Lots of visual gags and word play gags that if you get some fan subs does a little better job translating than the official.

This isn't for everyone, but if you want absurdism with little substance then look no further. This will sate you for a while. It's a dark movie with a bubble gum pop mask on. It's like the song Chick Habit by April March. It's this really poppy song about a sexual predator stalking women, and then picks the wrong girl who will be more than happy to put an end to his predator ways. SUCH a happy melody and sung so frenetically that it's great. This movie is just like that song. I also liked Vinny Jones in this, he's doing is Football/Soccer Hooligan shtick, but it works in the context of the movie, and the writer clearly knew how to add it to the story. Wouldn't be surprised if he wrote Vinny's character first, which makes more sense when you watch the movie.

Definitely one of the most bizarre movies of 2004, also one of the greatest

[Poetry_on_Celluloid · 9/10 · 5 January 2006]

By far one of the oddest, yet most brilliant movies of 2004. Five separate stories led by each story's own bizarre set of characters, end up tying together in a set of unusual consequences. Fantastic Cinematography, characterization, and story. This movie is truly one of kind.

Other movies containing the basic storyline of character's lives tying together in unusual consequences, such as "Magnolia," can't compare to the charm Survive Style 5+ has. From director, Gen Sekiguchi, who directed commercials of his own (those who have seen the movie know what I'm referring to) in Japan prior to Survive Style 5+. The movie contains brilliant colors, especially in Aman's mansion. Magnificent colors of bright blues, reds, and greens make the movie worth turning your head for straight from the beginning.

Some of the characters include Aman (Tadanobu Asano) who is fantastic in the role of a silent killer. Murdering his wife only to have her stirring in her grave for revenge. A game show hit called "Viva Friends" hosted by an awkward man with strange behavior who is able to hypnotize his audience, only to be murdered by a foreign hit man (Vinnie Jones).

An everyday family having an obsession with the game show "Viva Friends" which only leads to their father being hypnotized into thinking he is a bird. Upon the hypnotists death, the dad is unable to recover from his hypnotism, and is forced to be bird-dad from then on.

A young group of miscreants thieving neighborhood houses while still entertaining those watching the movie with their humorous conversations, and relationships between the trio.

Finally a women named Yoko who creates commercials for several companies such as one led by Kazama, the Advertising Company President (Shinichi Chiba) that distributes aspirin pills. Her commercials have a bizarre joke tone to them, and most of the commercials end up being rejected due to the lack of understanding of what the product actually does for the consumer.

How the stories pull off tying each other together is truly brilliant. Definitely a great ending the movie deserved, but I'll let you see that for yourself. Anyone who can laugh at bizarre situations, and conversations will love the dialogue and the movie altogether. 8.5/10

Only Opinions...

[guido_thepimp-1 · 7/10 · 20 September 2005]

Everything said is an opinion so it might help you decide or it may give you the wrong impressions. Be aware of this.

I read a few opinions on this website before watching Survive Style 5 and they were mostly misleading. I am not bitter but this is simply what I think. The film had it's moments which were mostly good comedy and some romance(or maybe that's just me being attracted to beautiful women), but overall the film was drawn out, the story was too difficult to comprehend, and I can endure long silences with no action or movement, but only when there is a purpose, and in this film I saw no purpose and lost interest through the film a few times.

There was a review here on IMDb that described the silent character's role as amazing, but I just did not feel his amazing performance. In comparison, I watched Musa The Warrior the following night where the leading role is a silent one and I was truly awe struck by his performance, which had just as little dialog and I know it's a completely different story and setting, but writing and acting and directing created the most mesmerizing silent performance I have ever witnessed, and it ranks highly among all other characters I have seen. Musa's character was an amazing performance and like someone on IMDb already mentioned about Korean films in relation to SS5, there are better quality films out there with better writing, acting, directing, and which come together to make quality films that have a lasting impression because they are so compelling. Musa was one of these films that is so absorbing that after two hours when the film had ended, it seemed like on an hour and a half.

So watch and enjoy what films you will, opinions are for the individual and should be cautiously observed. I hope you enjoy the film and many more Korean films to come.

Neo avant-garde cinema at its finest.

[Gigo_Satana · 8/10 · 28 April 2005]

Although my initial cause to sought this movie out was because of Asano and the variety of comments proclaiming how this film excels over other successful features, I ended up enjoying this film simple for the reason that it was nothing like I've ever seen before.

As the grimy first five minutes of the film rolled by, served with Tadanobu Asano's ever ethereal facial expressions, my mind automatically started processing and investigating the odd display of family oriented affection between a man and a woman. But before wandering off, next fifteen minutes got right to the business of introducing me to more sane and insane characters and their functions in life.

This basically starts the merry-go-round of scenes involving these very different individuals doing what they oh so normally do. By the second time I got through this carousel of events, my mind, now pleasantly anesthetized, stopped trying to find out what's going on and just started enjoying and craving more from each situation. This whole experience of course was topped with stylish camera work and great array of colors and locations. Music for the most part hit all the right notes and further enriched the bizarreness of certain characters.

Although the aftermath of this film might not leave everyone with a great dramatic impingement, the story dealing with the family had a lot of heart within its realm of silliness. Ultimately the entire procedure of the film and its acting was a (sur)real treat that kept me entertained all the way through with a smile on my face. What does seem like an even better outcome is the possibility of Gen Sekiguchi tapping more deeply into this genre and pulling out more tricks than anyone could ever ask for.

Side note: If you enjoyed this film, then I suggest that you also watch Mind Game. It's an award winning experimental animation feature, that's somewhat similar to SS5+ in a way that it expertly fuses stories of life in a most imaginative and fascinating way.

Weird and not in a good way

[AdrenalinDragon · 3/10 · 4 September 2021]

If you love weird random nonsense that isn't funny for like two hours then I guess Survive Style 5+ might be for you. As for me personally, I really disliked it. I suppose it has some okay visuals and performances here and there, and the music fitted in parts, but there's barely anything interesting going on here. This didn't work for me at all despite knowing it was going to be weird and random. Also, what the hell was up with Vinnie Jones in this?

2.5/10.

Nippon over-the-top pop comedy

[raweater · 8/10 · 27 May 2005]

First of all, you must know I'm not a big fan of comedies. Dull stuff like American Pie, Road Trip, etc. simply gives me the yawns. After I had the luck to get my hands on SS5+ and watched it, my turn-away from US comedies was complete; it might be that the Japanese sense of humor suits me more. Watching a hypnotized family dad acting like a bird is much more funny to me than seeing someone banging an apple-pie....

The flick follows 4 different stories which are sewn together in perfect timing: 1. A husband tries to get rid of his wife - unsuccessfully. 2. A family father is able to follow his animal instincts. 3. A woman working in the commercial business tries to sell her ideas, which are shown as real commercials - some of the most funny parts. 4. A trio of sexually-not-clearly-oriented burglars is getting in trouble.

From my point of view Vinnie Jones, playing a hit-man (what else ?), is the main character because he connects the different story-lines and he is very interested in people's purpose in life.... see it and you know what I mean.

The Director's (Gen Sekiguchi) origins are obvious. He made highly successful commercials before, SS5+ is his debut film. So the movie is colorful, fast-paced, but not cut too hysterically, extremely funny but sometimes with a sad under-tone.

Watching it gave me a really good time. Highly recommended !

Weird and hilarious

[timmy_is_fly · 10/10 · 15 September 2015]

A mate of mine recommended this, and I'm so glad I watched it. This is one of the most original films i've ever seen; all of the five subplots are interesting and quirky in their own ways, and they all intertwine with each other in order to make a great and memorable movie. Can't really spoil too much, but the film is incredibly weird and bizarre (in a good way), and it constantly keeps you in suspense. The ending is also fantastic.

+ Quirky

+ Weird

+ Fun

+ Interesting