Movie Reviews: I Have Never Shot Anyone

1 Hrs 40 Mins

Rating

★★★

Duration

1 Hrs 40 Mins

Movie Digest

Living a double life is one of the most intriguing themes in literature and film, despite the fact that it is extremely difficult and near-impossible in reality. It can lead to some interesting plots, especially when mixed with the thriller genre, such as a mobster or hitman needing to mask his or her acts in front of others.

The Feel Good Part

The moments between Ishibashi and Kishibe, in particular, are particularly enjoyable to watch, as both performers have previously played similar roles, in an attempt that is evocative “Ryuzo and the Seven Hechmen.”

The Disappointing Factor

Aside from the performers, the film’s jazzy score and cinematography by Shingo Gima create a sense of nostalgia and neo-noir that fits the plot and its characters, although not everything works out in the end.

In-Depth Analysis

Susumu Ichikawa (Renji Ishibashi) is a tough crime drama author by day, whose work is appreciated by his publisher but shelved because it lacks the traits that characterise a hit in the genre. According to his distributor, the majority of his stories focus around the accounts of a hitman observing and subsequently executing his numerous targets, which are more detailed and lack actual depth. While Susumu’s wife Yayoi (Michiyo Okusu) believes he is studying his new novel, he is actually playing Renji Omae, a hitman who has been working for retired public prosecutor Ishida (Ittoku Kishibe), and who roams Tokyo’s nighttime streets, most notably a little club where he reunites with his boss, but also his publisher, who is well aware of his customers’ double life.

Star Power

Susumu is a failed writer whose work has veered from intellectual to overliteral. He’s established a hard-boiled style in which every detail is scrupulously chronicled in choppy sentences while composing under the pen name Reiji Omae. The twist is that he seemed to be committing the atrocities he describes.

Overall Opinion

Overall, it’s a mix of humour and neo-noir thriller, and the ensemble, with their backgrounds in both, delivers plenty of fun. While the ensemble and mood of Junji Sakamoto’s latest film are excellent, the film’s different elements never completely come together.