Ryusei (2000) Reviews

Hiromitsu Yamanaka debuts with this deft, witty comedy about an old man and his unprofitable passion for the racetrack that recalls the comic elegance of a Charlie Chaplin movie. Opening with a shot of crumpled betting cards, the film focuses on 66-year old Kikujiro (Ken Ogata) and fellow loser and amateur criminal Kawasaki (Yosuke Eguchi). After another day of losing at the track, Kikujiro rashly hurls all of his belongings out of his apartment window. Later, when he happens upon an advertisement for female companionship in a telephone booth (common in parts of Japan), the deeply lonely Kikujiro calls the prostitute, Hitomi (Mami Shimizu), only to discover that her asking price is 600,000 yen. With Kawasaki's help, Kikujiro hatches a plan to kidnap prize race horse Shooting Star and demand a 600,000 yen ransom. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi