The Most Terrible Time of My Life (NR) No Rating

A down-and-out Japanese gumshoe stumbles into a gang war in Kaizo Hayashi's finger-chopping film noir tribute/parody.

Story

Yokohama private dick Maiku "Mike" Hama scratches out a living taking on small cases for his equally hard-up clients: poor immigrants who can't count on the police for help. On the job, Hama sports comical summer kimonos and a cynical façade, but in private, he reveals himself as a sincere, somewhat naïve ex-hoodlum who sticks up for the little guys. When an outwardly guileless waiter from Taiwan asks him to find a long-lost brother, he plunges headfirst into the murky depths of Japan's underworld, despite subtle and not-so-subtle clues that all is not as it seems.

Acting

Despite its darkly humorous moments, this is no "Naked Gun" -- Masatoshi Nagase plays Hama with an earnestness that sustains drama and lends credibility to his unlikely character. Hou De Jian and Yang Haitin shine as brothers torn apart by outside loyalties. However, Akaji Maro's over-the-top parody of the hard-boiled police lieutenant never quite meshes with the rest of the cast.

Direction

The film starts on a manic note, with some richly comic moments (such as when Hama's friends try to retrieve a severed finger from a large, ornery dog). Unfortunately Hayashi can't sustain the same level of energy throughout the film and it evolves into a sometimes gripping, sometimes plodding story of honor and conflicting loyalties. The flashback sequences feature some intriguing cinematography by Yuichi Nagata.

Bottom Line

Won't induce a "Big Sleep," but mostly for film-noir fans or devotees of Japanese cinema.

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Starring Masatoshi Nagase, Kiyotaka Namba, Shiro Sano, Yang Haitin and Hou De Jian.

Directed by Kaizo Hayashi. Produced by Shunsuke Koga, Kaizo Hayashi and Yu Wei Wen. Written by Kaizo Hayashi and Daisuke Tengan. Released by Viz Films and Tidepoint Pictures.