THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS Review
Whether fair or unfair, you can’t choose your family so what you see is what you get, faults and all (sorry Dad, UB40 is a terrible band). For prolific director Takashi Miike and writer Kikumi Yamagishi, family, no matter how weird or screwed up they may be is probably the only reliable foundation in the unpredictably bizarre world of THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS.
Nevertheless, the eponymous clan consisting of good-hearted patriarch Masao (Kenji Sawada), supportive matriarch Terue (Keiko Matsuzaka), their adult daughter and son, Shizue and Masayuki (Naomi Nishida and Shinji Takeda, respectively), along with Shizue’s own daughter Yurie (Tamaki Miyazaki) and the clan’s ancestor Grandpa Jinpei (Tetsuro Tanba), have problems of their own. For one, Masao has brought the entire family along to work with him on his dream of creating a cozy and humble mountainside bed and breakfast, even if said bed and breakfast is cut off from any desirable highway (even though construction is apparently underway). Elsewhere, daughter Shizue has just recovered from a disastrous divorce, leaving her flinging herself to any (less than ideal) man that shows a slight semblance of attraction while son Masayuki just sits and broods around the property all day. And Grandpa Jinpei just spends his days lying and throwing logs (with deadly accuracy) at flying crows. Despite the family’s internal issues, the world outside of their aspiring home of hospitality thrives with bizarre characters and goings ons (including but not limited to: inexplicably dying bed and breakfast guests, skeevy “Navy” men, zombies, stop motion animated cherubs, toxic waste, and more) that threaten the Katakuri’s humble dreams.
A film that threatens to be overcome by various genres and visual escapades at any moment, THE HAPPINESS… nonetheless explodes with unique heart in its depiction of a family overcoming the odds, despite their problems with one another. With a true “anything goes” mindset, Miike embellishes a rather simple and lovable portrait of a family with devilish and childlike imagination as he jumps from well produced musical interludes to chaotic sequences of stop motion animated mayhem. Undeniably, the film runs the risk of becoming too much of an assault on a viewer’s senses (especially with regards to the film’s rather unappealing digital look) when not testing their patience for a constant onslaught of over-the-top goofiness as the Katakuri clan deal with one outrageous situation after another. Despite this, and thanks to director Miike and writer Yamagishi, the film never loses track of the heart and soul located at the center of their foolish shenanigans, treating the Katakuri family as one who truly care for one another despite their petty quarrels. Through the family’s undeniable and authentic love for one another, the more bizarre events and characters that surround them only heighten the true warmth of the Katakuri’s bond.
Like a live-action cartoon brought to life, Miike’s film rushes along its near two hour runtime with vigor to spare. Even as the film juggles multiple genres and visual mediums, it never feels lacking in any explored escapade as each bizarre sequence thrives with vitality and commitment which is in large part due to the performances within the film. Each Katakuri member gets their own respective moment to shine, each one usually being very funny, but even outside of comedy, each performer brings a goofy, if well-meaning warmth and good-naturedness to their character as well as the occasional sick dance move (especially from the wonderfully hilarious dancer that is Mr. Takeda) or song number (special shoutout to the stellar duets of Shizue and a skeevy “Navyman” (Kiyoshiro Imawano)). While at times feeling very “sketch-like” in regards to some sequences being more entertaining than others, the film manages to successfully bring things together (after a rather mind-shattering climax sequence of colliding mediums and genres) in a conclusion that is equal parts sad, nostalgic, happy, bizarre, and of course, mind-meltingly funny.
While the melting pot concocted within THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS may not be for everyone, and honestly there will probably be various moments in this movie where each different person will either dip out or stay on, it would be hard to deny the vibrant imagination on display. As a result, in regards to cinematic portrayals of a family, this one is probably the weirdest, but delightfully so.
4/5
