VISITOR Q (2001)
Directed by Takashi Miike
Starring: Kenichi Endo, Shungiku Uchida, Shinya Tsukamoto
Genre: Drama/Comedy/Horror
Running Time: 84mins

Rating:

Dad is an investigative journalist with a taste for necrophilia, Mum is a heroin addict who turns to prostitution to feed her habit, son is the punch bag of school bullies by day, and by night the violent tormentor of his mother, and daughter - is a runaway prostitute who just got paid 50,000 Yen to sleep with her father. Visitor Q - he's a man who hits strangers on the head with rocks. Part of the Love Cinema collection of works, Visitor Q is vol. 6 - directed by Takashi Miike, a director not exactly known for being subtle.

When it comes time to review Visitor Q, there must be a collective clearing of throats on the reviewers part as he or she begins to comment on what they have seen. What they have seen is a film that deliberately goes out of its way to push the boundaries of taste and decency. But let's not assume that it's necessarily a bad thing, because, for all it's horror - Visitor Q is essentially a film about bringing a family unit together from the brink of destruction.

Now - before settling down to watch Visitor Q I was already aware of the violence (domestic, sexual, post-mortal) that Miike's film contained. See that in a good way (prepared) or a bad way (unsurprising) but the fact remains that I knew well in advance that this film would be an endurance course.

After seeing the film I can agree that there are undoubtedly humorous moments on display (the initial brick attacks, the fireworks rampage and the general nature of the relaxed "Visitor" are stand outs) but I cannot agree with reviewers who claim that all on display serves the purpose of laughter. I may be wrong, Miike may say that it was all one big joke on the modern family unit, an exaggerated look on how the public and private lives of Japanese citizens are kept so secret, so apart. This may be the case, but for me at least, Visitor Q is not entirely humorous.

The opening sequence was probably one of the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen but also one of the best opening scenes I've seen. A far cry from the subsequent gore and splatter antics that follow, the opening sequence: where daughter seduces dad, is painfully long and tragic filmed in a documentary style that eschews the implication techniques used by Poelvoorde and Bonzel in Man Bites Dog.

Miike starts his film by implicating us in the act, making us the seduced - making us the weak willed male. We know nothing of their background, nothing of their relationship. Miike introduces us to what we can only perceive as just another client and just another prostitute. It is not until after the act, after the father has ejaculated that we get the inside scoop on their relationship. And for me, this is the intention of Miike's film. To debase us. He has for a long time been renowned for pushing the audiences limitations, for pushing the boundaries on what we can accept on screen. Visitor Q in my opinion is just that. It's a morality head-fuck of a movie. He will present to us everything we didn't want to see and force us to either laugh at its outrageousness, or sit aghast at it's horror. Whichever path you choose, the intentions of Visitor Q are undoubtedly - to get a response.

It is this sole intention that presents the biggest flaw in Visitor Q. In my honest opinion, I think Miike tries just a little too hard to shock, and as with most cases - when a director goes out of his / her way to shock the outcome is usually one of boredom. For the most part the humour in Visitor Q is quite frankly poor. It lacks the quality of Ichi's finest moments, and the fact that it is shot on digital video doesn't help matters. The lactating nipple close ups are so badly captured that you would swear that Miike just took snippets from a porno movie. It's a relatively sloppily put together sequence.

But in spite of this momentary lapse in cinematography, the film also has many positive aspects. The acting is first rate, Kenichi Endo (in particular) pulls out a bravura performance as the father of the household committing himself fully to the role in a way that would cast a looming shadow over Keitel's infamous work for Abel Ferrarra's Bad Lieutenant.

The supporting cast / family are equally up to the task with Shungiku Uchida (a renowned manga artist) surprisingly effective as the matriarch of the family. Painted in bruises, limping, and dependent on her prostitution as a means to maintain her heroin addiction her performance is perfectly low key, submissive to her aggressive son but then a tower of strength in the films closing stages. Her transformation is a testament to both her acting and Miike's handling of its subject matter.

The problem with Visitor Q is that deep down there are some fine comments on the family unit and it's ability to overcome adversity, there are enough analytical musings to keep most psychologists happy (most interesting is the Oedipal relationship between son and mother - confused and distorted out of shape the relationship between violence both inflictive and responsive is fascinating) however, all these qualities are buried deep beneath the excesses of set pieces that fail to bring anything more to the film other than degradation. The reasons behind Endo's murder of his mistress is poorly constructed, while the subsequent exploration of necrophilia (though handled admirably) never manages to be anything more than a catalyst for the rigor mortis gag.

Overall, Visitor Q is a mixed success. Essential viewing - yes. But that goes with an essential warning. If you are easily offended - you need this film like you need the plague. But for those who can persevere, once you scrape past the muck and the filth, there is a very interesting film to be found. Not the classic that it's been touted as, but a good film all the same.