Fireworks

1997 action love story

Rating: 17/20

Plot: Following a tragedy on the job, a policeman leaves the force to take care of his dying wife.

Hooked from the colorful opening credits, I had some trouble getting into the rhythm of the narrative. Once the disjointed storytelling settled in (or settled down) and this became a love story, I was absorbed. The beautiful colors were still there in these well-constructed shots. A lot of that has to do with the use of a lot of bizarre artwork, apparently paintings made by writer, director, and star Takeshi Kitano. I don't know if all the artwork is his, but there were a few pieces I liked, including a snow/light/suicide one. His background as a painter likely contributes to his ability to have this unique visual flair with Fireworks. Or Hana-Bi. Whatever I'm supposed to call this. That sounds like where Puff the Magic Dragon is from.

This isn't all visual flair and disjointed narrative with the occasional splashes of bloody violence. Instead, this has a pair of powerful stories about a friendship and a loving marriage. The latter unfolds almost entirely without dialogue, and it's just beautiful. When this movie morphs into a road trip movie, watching the couple work on puzzles or have these sightseeing mishaps is so sweet. The friendship is almost as sweet. I loved Kitano's patience with a scene where Ren Osugi opened a gift, and a scene with a beret almost brought on the tears. A shot of a wheelchair on a beach was also powerful.