★ 6 / 10
This starts off a bit like one of
CinemaSerf
This starts off a bit like one of those shows that sells the contents of a locker to the highest bidder and let’s the winner make what they can from the…
This starts off a bit like one of those shows that sells the contents of a locker to the highest bidder and let’s the winner make what they can from the contents. “Yoshii” (Masaki Suda) has a bit of an unfulfilling job and lives with his girlfriend “Akiko” (Kotone Furukawa) in a tiny flat where he buys stuff cheap then marks them up and flogs them online. There’s no quality control involved here, he just creatively peddles any old stuff claiming it is what it probably isn’t, relying on anonymity to ensure that he gets away with it. Convinced they can make it big with their very own auction site, he jacks in the work and sets up a lucrative business. With the police becoming suspicious, things start to take a turn for the more menacing and then some of his disgruntled buyers manage to track him down and set about employing some vigilante tactics to, quite literally, exact their vengeful pound of flesh. With only his loyal and adaptable assistant “Miyake” (Omane Okayama) maybe in his corner, things don’t look so hot for our intrepid entrepreneur as his electronic therapy kits make a more malevolent re-appearance in quite a shocking fashion. For a while this is quite a tensely directed drama that illustrates just how unregulated the internet is when it comes to describing and selling things. Is that an indictment of a capitalist society exploiting the unaware or one of a consumer society who expect to pay as little as possible for quality? Maybe both? Unscrupulousness abounds on both sides. However, once we start to enter the revenge phase of the drama, it fades away into a far-fetched version of a video game where the scenarios become increasingly less plausible, interesting and more repetitive. It raises lots of questions about our behaviour towards and dependency on the web, but it doesn’t really know where to go once it has asked them and perhaps it’s that video game analogy that epitomises the ultimate solution auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa selects as he presents us with a cinematic version of sticking your head in a sand of virtual reality. The acting is neither here nor there and though it’s starts quite innovatively it just fizzes out - as does the whole thing. Pity, it had potential.
★ 6 / 10
Cloud
CinemaSerf
This starts off a bit like one of those shows that sells the contents of a locker to the highest bidder and let's the winner make what they can from the…
This starts off a bit like one of those shows that sells the contents of a locker to the highest bidder and let's the winner make what they can from the contents. "Yoshii" (Masaki Suda) has a bit of an unfulfilling job and lives with his girlfriend "Akiko" (Kotone Furukawa) in a tiny flat where he buys stuff cheap then marks them up and flogs them online. There's no quality control involved here, he just creatively peddles any old stuff claiming it is what it probably isn't, relying on anonymity to ensure that he gets away with it. Convinced they can make it big with their very own auction site, he jacks in the work and sets up a lucrative business. With the police becoming suspicious, things start to take a turn for the more menacing and then some of his disgruntled buyers manage to track him down and set about employing some vigilante tactics to, quite literally, exact their vengeful pound of flesh. With only his loyal and adaptable assistant "Miyake" (Omane Okayama) maybe in his corner, things don't look so hot for our intrepid entrepreneur as his electronic therapy kits make a more malevolent re-appearance in quite a shocking fashion. For a while this is quite a tensely directed drama that illustrates just how unregulated the internet is when it comes to describing and selling things. Is that an indictment of a capitalist society exploiting the unaware or one of a consumer society who expect to pay as little as possible for quality? Maybe both? Unscrupulousness abounds on both sides. However, once we start to enter the revenge phase of the drama, it fades away into a far-fetched version of a video game where the scenarios become increasingly less plausible, interesting and more repetitive. It raises lots of questions about our behaviour towards and dependency on the web, but it doesn't really know where to go once it has asked them and perhaps it's that video game analogy that epitomises the ultimate solution auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa selects as he presents us with a cinematic version of sticking your head in a sand of virtual reality. The acting is neither here nor there and though it's starts quite innovatively it just fizzes out - as does the whole thing. Pity, it had potential.
★ 5 / 10
From an atmospheric thriller to a second half that slightly derails
aronharde
Cloud tells the story of Ryosuke Yoshii, an ordinary online reseller who becomes entangled in a life-threatening struggle after a series of cyber incidents…
Cloud tells the story of Ryosuke Yoshii, an ordinary online reseller who becomes entangled in a life-threatening struggle after a series of cyber incidents escalate to the point of putting his life in danger. What starts as minor threats soon becomes far more serious, and Yoshii is completely unprepared for this kind of disruption.The movie is rather slow-paced and has a unique narrative that I was looking forward to exploring. The characters are distinct and engaging, and the film builds a tense atmosphere, with director Kurosawa's signature style evident throughout. His name is well known in the genre, and he has delivered many enjoyable and popular films in the past. The use of long takes and silent moments in the first half further enhances the tension.However, once the movie really gets going, it starts to fall apart. While the story remains grounded and avoids exaggeration, it also leans toward a satirical edge. That said, this grounded approach should have been matched with more plausibility and realism. Several scenes felt unrealistic due to poor character decisions or outright stupidity, which seriously harmed the immersion.Our main character ends up in dangerous situations because of poor choices, gets out of them only because the antagonists make even worse decisions, and then ends up right back in trouble again due to yet another mistake. This became frustrating to watch and made it difficult to root for Yoshii.Masaki Suda gave a solid performance as the lead, and the supporting cast was strong as well. Unfortunately, some of Kurosawa's decisions in the second half significantly weakened the film. It's a decent thriller with an especially strong first half, but it gradually loses its sense of tone and coherence as it progresses.That said, one could argue the movie is unpredictable. Kurosawa certainly takes unexpected paths with his characters and their behavior. Still, the film suffers from pacing issues and an uneven tone, shifting from an atmospheric thriller to action-packed shootouts that were poorly executed.By the time the second half derails, the movie loses its impact and doesn't leave much of a lasting impression, which is unfortunate given the unique plot and characters. It's still a decent watch, and Kurosawa fans will find elements to enjoy here, but overall, it's far from his best work. Also, I'm not sure why this is tagged as "horror" on IMDb, because that label is definitely misleading. [5.2/10]
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