Mini Film Review – First Love

I have just watched First Love; and it was very interesting! Directed by Takashi Miike, and starring Masataka Kubota, Sakurako Konishi, and Shôta Sometani; First Love is a crime thriller about a young boxer, who gets caught up in a drug smuggling trade gone wrong between two warring gangs one night in Tokyo. It takes it’s time to get going; but when it does get moving; it doesn’t want to stop. It’s a very clever film as it relies on your expectations. You know who has directed it, and as such you expect it to carry the hallmarks of Takashi Miike; which it does, but not in the way you expect! Basically it does the exact opposite of what you think is going to happen. You think the two protagonists are going to be the focus of all the violence; but they’re not! You expect the hitmen to be the most bloodthirsty, but they’re not. You expect so much, but what you get is the exact opposite! The violence is bloodthirsty and graphic, but at times rather comical. There is quite a bit of silliness here and there to raise a smile, but there is also some sweet moments, a tiny bit of drama, and some cool surprises. It’s amazing how many genres are present in this film too; from Crime and Thriller, to Action, Comedy, and a touch of Coming of Age Drama too. You’d think that something as over the top as this would just be a pile of garbage; but what it is is, a very interesting movie! it is quite possibly, the best Romantic Movie ever made (albeit a very violent one)!