2LDK (2002)

No YOU drop it first!

Genre: Action Drama Thriller (Japan)

Starring: Eiko Koike (Kamikaze Girls), Maho Nonami

Directed By: Yukihiko Tsutsumi

Overview: Two girls share an apartment in Tokyo. Both are actresses, both are waiting for the call to see who will be getting the lead role in the next big film. Both will do anything to beat the other to that part... perhaps even start a battle royale in the middle of the living room.

Acting: One girl plays the goodie-goodie from a little town coming to get her big film role. The other plays a prissed-up Channel-loving girly-girl who's had her chance in the limelight and needs to keep herself there. Two diametrically opposed characters and their growing zealous hate for one another. Good times.
Rating: 8

Cinematography: With low budget films, cinematography tends to suck. El Mariachi, Bad Taste, these suffer from the obvious poor camerawork that comes from having less money to shoot more takes with. Well not so with this one. Just like Versus, we have a unique and artistic shot in every scene with slo-mo effects and dynamic angles, not to mention the set, one nice big apartment with many rooms to rough-house in. Hell there's even chainsaws, swords and gore. This makes me want to make movies!
Rating: 9

Script: The best part of this is that we hear the thought of the girls. So here you have one girl asking a simple question like "Where did you say you were from?" and from that you know that the plainer of the two of them thinks how the other is a moron who can't remember the simplest detail and the one asking the question thinks her roommate is a backwater twit from some hick town. This element is what sets this film apart from other action flicks. It's original, and it clearly explains our characters' motives perfectly. You don't doubt the hate.
Rating: 8

Plot: This story is the ages old tale of simple escalating hatred and we have to just wait and see how far it's going to go. Each character has their secret issues and we clearly feel what each hates about the other. This might not be full of super-secret twists and turns or filled with ace-in-the-hole checkmate moments, because it's just a look into the few hours of the microcosm of an apartment with two roommates, but what an exciting time and what a great ending!
Rating: 9

Mood: A lot of dark humour, funny because we know what's going on in their heads, funny because of the agonizing torture they're doing unto one another, and funny because we know that this is not going to end well. All of this and they're surrounded by a lovely, big, serene apartment with a zen pool and a little garden, even a parrot. Wanna know what happens to the parrot? I know you do!
Rating: 8

No, YOU Blpt Blbubt blubpt!

Overall Rating: 84% (@*&%!)

Aftertaste: So I've convinced you to see this movie. How on earth are you going to remember that title when you ask for it at Invisible Cinema? Well the title gets its name from the way apartments are described in Japan. In this case, 2 bedrooms, a living room, dining room and kitchen, hence 2LDK. The most fun I had during my horrible five day illness with a stomach bug. Kick Ass Fun!