15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
3 ½ + Stars: The Sequel to "Suicide Club" is too Horrific to be a mere Melodrama and too Emotional to be Horror.., June 2, 2008
This review is from: Noriko's Dinner Table (DVD)
Sion Sono is a poetic director; his works often mystify, puzzle and bewilder his audiences. One thing no one can deny about this director is that his films are engaging with their uninhibited and visceral themes whether you like them or not. NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE is the long awaited sequel to Suicide Club (aka. Suicide Circle). I know, most folks are probably dreading a sequel to the cult hit, but Sion Sono delivers, well, not exactly in the way you may expect. "Noriko's Dinner Table" is more a companion film to the first film than a solid sequel. Too visceral to be a melodrama, and at the same time too mild to be horror; just what is Sono's intentions with this film. Maybe to deepen its underlying enigma?
A 17-yr. old teenager named Noriko Shimabara (Kazue Fikiishi) leaves her tiny provincial town and moves to Tokyo to find an internet cult group called Haikyo.com There she meets up with the site's webmaster; a young pretty woman named Kumiko (Tsugumi) and loses herself in the unusual ways this cult group practices, which includes a very unique approach to prostitution and mass suicide. As Noriko grows closer to her new friends, her sister Yuka (Yuriko Yoshitaka) decides to follow her suit. Now, both sisters must decide if abandoning their old life is worth dying for...
Now, to cut to the chase; is "Noriko's Dinner Table" a better film than "Suicide Club"? Yes and no. Yes, The film is structured in a way as a melodrama would, slowly uncovering its mystery. The film is slow-paced and quite frankly the film really takes its time. Its sense of purpose may equally alienate some viewers as with its predecessor. The events of the film does bring the idea of an organization on a very personal level and it puzzles more than it entertains. However, it is also inferior on some levels; the film looks very constrained by a limited budget and looks a bit too simple when compared to Sono's other film "Strange Circus" when it comes to cinematography. The characters are indeed intriguing but it is very difficult to form an attachment to them. They are decently developed but for some reason, their puzzling purpose just didn't sell the idea to me, except maybe for the father. His goal is pretty straight-forward as they come, he wants to find his daughters. (it also does open a plot hole unfortunately)
The film has a very different storyline than "Suicide Club". It's timeline is parallel but at the same time it is also takes place after. The fragmented style of the proceedings are interesting with a narration of different points of view from its lead characters; Noriko, Yuka, Noriko, and Tetsuzo. These narratives attempt to explain to a degree just what is occurring but also serves to annoy at times that the film loses a lot of its effect and visual "punch". Seasoned watchers will not have any problems following its sequences and dialogue but those unadulterated to this style will no doubt be lost and (perhaps) be a little bored. In some ways this film may be a little more frustrating than Suicide Club, it doesn't really offer any explanations or closure but instead reinforces the mystery behind Sion Sono's first film and opens more questions.
The film is somewhat similar to Sono's "Strange Circus". Both films deal with the idea of identity and individualism. Not everything or everyone is as they first seem to be. This film shows us the personal idea of the cult, from Noriko's goal of discovering her own identity and the denial of some truths. The film gives us the idea that all people are actors in a play, that more or less people either succeed or fail in their roles in life. Another theme it explores is the failure of reaching out to your love ones. "Lions and Sheeps" are expressed as the philosophy behind the cycle of life.
Now don't get the wrong idea that this film focuses more on philosophy and melodrama. The film does represent a lot of shocking ideas and quite disturbing to the core. Members of the group would fulfill their roles at the cost of their very lives. Noriko was present as an observer when the 54 schoolgirls jumped off the railway as part of her "training". Kumiko is the most intriguing character since she remains so cold but at the same time, so capable of expressing emotion in a very subtle way. It was a very interesting sight when she allowed an "actress" get stabbed to death for the satisfaction of one reliving a lost opportunity.
In its own way, "Noriko's Dinner Table" has all the potential to be a better film than "Suicide Circle". It's more personal approach to certain themes about family and its lasting effect on youngsters, the influence of technology and failure of communication. Hidden from all its motifs and darkness is a very effective portrayal of intense human drama. You might say that this sequel (of sorts) is the heart and soul of Suicide Circle. It is a harder film to comprehend than its predecessor, and despite its faults, it will encourage the viewer to take another look-see.
Don't expect the film to have the same style as "Suicide Club" or you will be very disappointed. The film just enlarges the context of the first film; it widens its mythology and reinforces its mystery.
RECOMMENDED! Timidly...[3 ½ + Stars]
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
What a lovely dinner table.., November 23, 2010
This review is from: Noriko's Dinner Table (DVD)
This is the sequel to suicide club:
A girl named Noriko runs away from her home and goes to Tokyo to meet a girl she was chatting with
online. She gets involved in the cult group thats involved with a very unique form of prositution called "family renting" and mass suicides. Noriko's sister also gets sucked into the group and their father trys to find them. It's a very interesting film about family and finding who you are. It's gets better each time you watch it, though it's long so i always enjoy the first 3 chapters of the film. When it gets to the father in the last chapter, it drage but it's still good. Also, this is not a horror film, it's a drama.
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10 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BRIMMING WITH IDEAS, April 7, 2008
This review is from: Noriko's Dinner Table (DVD)
This is the kind of film that will constantly unravel in your mind, long after you see it (its been two years and it's still etched in my brain from one viewing). It has the limitless potentiality of films like Mulholland dr., which are born anew every time you think you've picked something out of it. Sono crafts a multifarious and philosophically charged narrative that is at once complex and delicate, imbuing every component of the film's construction with a responsibility to help buoy its ideas; which incongruously bounce off of Buddhism, Taoism, challenging modern gender/familial roles, the hazard in identity subversion, etc.
In short, NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE is a work of utter confidence and brilliance that charts a course of greater human authenticity and dynamism than its predecessor SUICIDE CLUB. It is also far more ambitious in its scope and concern of modern personhood, urban disilusionment, and the fractured family hierarchy, though each film is comparatively enriched by the other.
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