Over the course of his career, Takashi Miike has largely been known for his gonzo, hyper-violent Yakuza flicks, candy-colored and bonkers kids movies and a work ethic that outpaces James Franco. But a contender for the Palme d’Or? Indeed, back in 2011 his sleepy “Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai” quietly got a competition slot and this year, so too does he police procedural “Shield Of Straw.” Can it realistically be a player against folks like Alexander Payne, Asghar Farhadi, The Coen Brothers, Steven Soderbergh, Roman Polanski and others?
Well, a batch of new pics and a trailer (not subtitled, unfortunately) are here for first impressions and…it looks rather routine. But also, this is a pretty horribly cut trailer, so we can’t really be too harsh of a judge. Here’s the official synopsis:
“Kill Kunihide Kiyomaru, and I will pay you 1 billion Yen.” This is the ad placed in all the main newspapers in Japan. In placing the ad, the powerful multi-billionnaire Ninagawa puts an irresistible price on the head of the man he believes to be his granddaughter’s killer. Realising he has become a target for millions of people, Kiyomaru turns himself in at the Fukuoka Police Station. Four officers are dispatched to bring Kiyomaru back to Tokyo, risking their own life, but now any number of assassins lie in wait on the 1.200km journey. The trip becomes a hellish chase, with potential killers at every turn. Will the police get Kiyomaru to Tokyo to face justice, or will justice of a different nature prevail?
That plot does sound like it has potential, and if it means anything to you, this was based on the book by Kazuhiro Kiuchi. Watch the trailer (via MCN) below and check out some pics.
