Ride
or Die (Original title: Kanojo) | 2021 | 2h 22m
Genre:
Crime/Romance/Drama/Thriller | Country: Japan
Director:
Ryûichi Hiroki | Writers: Nami Yoshikawa, Ching Nakamura
Cast:
Kiko Mizuhara, Honami Satô, Shinya Niiro
IMDB:
5.6
My
Rate: 6/10
Rei kills Nanae’s husband, the woman she has liked since long ago, in an attempt to free her from her abusive husband. They then begin to explore their feelings for each other while on the run.
Warning:
Contains
scenes of murder, violence, nudity, sexual content, smoking, alcohol, and LGBT
themes.
Synopsis:
Rei
(Kiko Mizuhara) works as a successful surgeon and lives with her partner. One
day, a friend from her past contacts her again. She is Nanae (Honami Satô), the
woman Rei has liked since school. Surprised, Rei finally meets Nanae.
Nanae
tells Rei about her sad marriage and how her husband treats her, showing the
wounds on her body. Rei feels sadness seeing the wounds. Nanae says that
everything will end either with her death or her husband’s death.
Rei
takes Nanae’s words seriously. She approaches Nanae’s husband, seduces him,
then kills him brutally. Rei flees and informs Nanae of the incident. Nanae
looks for Rei and tries to escape together.
Nanae
does not expect that Rei would really kill her husband. Their relationship
becomes unclear. Rei, who from the start showed interest in Nanae, is always
looked down upon by those around her, including Nanae. However, the escape
seems to reveal hidden feelings in their hearts.
Review:
Ride
or Die is a film adapted from the manga series Gunjo by Ching Nakamura. The
story touches on LGBT themes. In Japan, LGBT is somewhat accepted though still
receives some negative views from society. Thus, this film takes a rather bold
step.
Putting
aside that theme, the message this film wants to convey is actually quite
profound. It shows how someone who loves deeply will do anything to protect the
person they love, including killing. However, the execution of the film feels
somewhat lacking. The chemistry between the characters is a bit underdeveloped.
The
story is presented with a non-linear timeline, showing the characters’ past in
several scenes. However, the story seems unfocused and over-exploits the
actors’ bodies. Sometimes it feels excessive and mistimed. If the focus had
been more on the actors’ emotional performances, it might have been better.
Additionally, the film feels too long, as some scenes do not add much value to
the story.
The
background story is built quite well, showing the connection between the two.
However, the conflict development is somewhat lacking, and the dialogues and
expressions sometimes fail to touch the audience or seem unclear in purpose.
The resolution is done fairly well with character development visible in each
character.
The
acting is not extraordinary but can be considered decent. The casting of Rei
and Nanae in their school years seems less fitting compared to their adult
versions. There is no resemblance in either face or character traits, so the
connection between the characters feels weak.
Camera
movements are sometimes slightly unfocused, shaky, and untidy. The color
composition and lighting are quite good. The choice of music and sound effects
is also good.
Overall,
this film has the potential to be presented better and more touching. Many
aspects could be optimized further.
Memorable scene:
Rei,
who has killed Nanae’s husband, calls Nanae to inform her. She stands on the
edge of a bridge with chaotic feelings. In this scene, we see the true feelings
of Rei—relief mixed with fear of the consequences of her actions.
Memorable dialogue:
"I couldn’t bear you not being in my life!"
Ending:
Cliffhanger
Recommendation:
Okay
to Watch
(Aluna)
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