Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Kenji Sawada, Keiko Matsuzaka, Tetsuro Tamba
Country of Origin: Japan
Running time: 1hr 53m
As a premise it sounds ridiculous.
On screen it is nothing less than sheer bedlam.
Yet the ludicrously comic tale of the Katakuris is splendidly escapist, entertaining viewing.
It also comes as something of a shock that director Takashi Miike – the man behind the terrifying Audition (1999) – should produce a film that is on another planet (quite literally) from his most renowned work in the UK thus far.
It should be noted that British audiences have only been given access to a tiny section of Miike’s back catalogue, as the Japanese director has already produced more than 60 films in his homeland.
Nevertheless, we should be thankful that the offbeat tale of the Katakuris reached the big screen in this country at all.
As the title implies, it revolves around the Katakuri family (father, mother, son, daughter, grandfather and granddaughter) and their ownership of the White Lover’s Hotel, where a series of mysterious deaths occur.
In short, the Katakuris customers keep dying and the family have to hide their bodies whilst hoping to attract new patrons to their picturesque establishment, which sits atop a mountain.
As if these peculiar occurrences were not baffling enough, the family burst into song at any given moment to discuss aloud how to deal with the unforeseen circumstances bestowed upon them.
It is a curious fusion of horror, family drama and musical, which also incorporates some stunning clay animation.
Indeed the film starts with a terrific piece of animation that transports us into the Katarkuris world and establishes the fact that we’re going to witness something decidedly unexpected.
It’s unintentionally and one suspects intentionally (at various points) hilarious, as the family congregates around the first man that dies in one of their hotel rooms, before exploding into a musical number, complete with a dance routine.
The songs that are juxtaposed between the deaths – including a karaoke number – are hypnotizing in themselves for their sincere sentiment, colourfully coordinated dance moves and surprising timing.
Indeed Miike alternates from live action to animation to musical routine with such speed and remarkable fluidity that it is impossible to predict what’s coming next.
Although comparisons have been made with The Sound of Music, Miike’s film stands alone, if only for its sheer, unapologetic oddness.
Where else would you find a woefully bad James Bond impersonator battling a stick wielding Grandad – both depicted in clay – over a cliff?
Although absurd and even preposterous, The Happiness of the Katakuris is tremendously enjoyable.
It would be pointless to even attempt to decipher Miike’s intentions or what, if anything, he was actually trying to transmit to the audience.
Whether the Katakuris are truly happy is somewhat of a trifling irrelevance – the film is just so magically compelling that it doesn’t make any difference.
Miike’s anomalous creation is simply thrilling; and it stands as a distinctive and funny odyssey into a brilliantly depicted parallel universe.
Stephen Kasiewicz 