In the last few days, I’ve the misfortune of viewing a spate of slow moving, dull, detached films no doubt masquerading as ‘art’.  Japanese Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s ‘Bright Future’ is yet another of these kinds of films.

Nimura (Jo Adagiri) and Mamoru (Tadanobu Asano) are twenty something slacker roommates, or lovers, I’m not quite sure which, who work part time in a non-descript factory, sleep a lot and watch the jellyfish in the fish tank.  The boss of the factory takes a liking to the two young men, and decides he is their friend.  He gives them both big bonuses, makes them full time and soon begins hanging out their apartment and borrowing CD’s.  Apparently this upsets Mamoru greatly since he soon murders the boss and his wife, goes to jail and gives the confused Nimura the jellyfish. 

Other odd occurrences happen throughout the film, such as Nimura bonding with Mamoru’s estranged father, Nimura’s sister popping in and out, Nimura dumping the jellyfish and joining a street gang.  I’m gonna go ahead and take the blame on this one.  This one went waaaay over my simple head.  All of these seemingly disconnected events and long moments of silence had a deeper meaning to someone, just not me.  And the replicating jellyfish in the sewers of Tokyo also meant something great and vast, I just didn’t get it.  Where is this bright future anyway?  Jellyfish are

bright right?  And, uh, they are like our future, right?  Or something like that?  If there was motivation for these people and there actions, it must have been lost somewhere in the subtitles.  I mean my boss gets on my nerves sometimes, but I’ve never wanted to kill him.  Unless, of course he didn’t return my CD.  Maybe then it’s justified.

Here’s what I’m going to do.  I’m going find my old copy of Commando and watch that a couple of times.  Right about now I’m in desperate need of a bar fight and a couple of car crashes.