A husband murders his wife - but she returns to taunt him. An advertising executive is spectacularly inept at her job. An egotistic hypnotist shoots his mouth off once too often. Three hip burglars bungle a job. A loving husband and father is turned into a chicken.Portmanteau cinema in the absurdist vein then. There are funny moments, and touching moments, but it is all very fleeting and forgettable. For this to work, a unifying theme, something that would resonate to a deeper level, is needed. Unfortunately, it just isn't there. These kind of exaggerated visuals work in music video, and the set pieces lend themselves to sketch show comedy, but neither has enough momentum to carry a feature film.Tadanobu Asano as Aman sleepwalks though his performance. That approach actually works for him at times (Maboroshi), but he looks uninterested here. Kyôko Koizumi and Hiroshi Abe decide to camp it up, the former more successfully than the latter. Tatsuya Kobayashi is a stand-out in the film's most successful storyline, the portrayal of a happy salaryman and his family. Jai West looks like a DJ who has accidentally wandered on set, but is saved from being the film's biggest disaster by the(mis-)casting of Vinnie Jones as a hired killer. Jones attempts to act here are feeble. YosiYosi Arakawa, his translator, eventually has to laugh, an endearing trait of Japanese prime-time mob comedy but not one likely to endear him or the film to international audiences.Younger audience members brought up with limited attention spans and used to bite-sized visuals will make great claims for this film. Those of us looking for some narrative complexity and universal human themes in our cinema will be disappointed.

First, the obligatory disclaimer: I'm a big fan of Japanese cinema as well as absurdist film, and count among my favorites such as "Shimotsuma Monogatari" ("Kamikaze Girls"), "The Happiness of the Katakuris" and "Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl". Significantly, many of the actors from those three Japanese films appear in "Survive Style 5+", which helps boost it above ordinary comic fare.Also giving "Survive Style 5+" a head start are some truly promising premises, wacky characterizations and art direction like a nuclear explosion in a crayon factory. So where does the film go wrong? It never goes anywhere with its stories, and it takes forever in doing so. One might well imagine the writer and some buddies sitting around, smoking pot and kicking ideas, jotting them down as they come. But so little is done to develop the ideas, it's very difficult to remain engaged.Even absurdist movies need to have some substance (such as Terry Gilliam's more adventurous films); without that substance, it never rises above sketch comedy. Instead of substance, the filmmakers give us repetition, or mawkishness. A serious irritation is the inclusion of far-too-loud soundtrack music from far-too-little-talented musicians. Brevity is the very soul of wit, and nothing proves this -- one way or the other -- like comedic films. But the director seems to be so enamored with some of his plot lines that he keeps them on life support far longer than they remain viable.It really is a shame. With better development of those inventive ideas, without the pointless and emotionally false "touching" scenes, without the music and with about 20 minutes of flab cut out, "Survive Style 5+" could've been right up there with the best in absurdist Japanese comedies. Instead, I found it increasingly unpleasant and lifeless, to the point where I couldn't wait for it to end.

What is Survive Style 5+? One of the best films I have ever seen in my life. This film is about 5 ( or more, you decide) styles of living, depicted in a seemingly haphazard and bewildering form. The use of song, colors, cinematography will ensure most people have no excuse BUT to be captivated by every scene. Even those that simply miss out on all the symbolism and allegories for every day life will find this movie highly entertaining simply from the excellent performances and superb overall presentation.The movie opens up with a man, who's apparently murdered his wife, burying her in the forest with a couple of meaningful comments about murder itself. That serious moment opens up a floodgate of seemingly subconscious events and comedy that is meant to jar you from the underlying essence of the movie for a moment. The film introduces other "styles of life", for example a group of bumbling burglar teens, a hit-man (Vinnie Jones) and his translator, an advertising guru who thinks every think she makes is the pinnacle of hilarity, and a family that apparently has a few issues of their own to deal with.Each layer of bizarre is followed by another layer of bizarre, until the ending will most likely leave you with your jaw on the floor. The great thing about SS5+ is that deep within the layers of apparently non-sensical comedy and action, there is a meaning to unearth, most people will come up with their own ideas as to "what it all means" and THAT is the best aspect of SS5+, enjoy.

Maybe that's not quite the right description but it's the first thing that came to mind while watching it. Several stories, all comic and surreal, intertwine until the very end where something is resolved. What, who knows?The art direction is spectacular especially in the main protagonist's mansion. It's unexplained how this mope and his girlfriend came to live in it. The pace of the film is wonderful and the soundtrack is very well designed. This film is a real treat if you don't need linear story telling or a rational plot line. While there is no nudity, there is a lot of crude sex talk. The violence is very modest except for a couple of scenes but it's cartoony bloodletting. Unfortunately, the film does starts with the customary Japanese male violence against women but at least it turns into something interesting as the film progresses.Very recommended.