Joining together such forces as American noir, Japanese gangster, the always enjoyable (see sarcasm) French New Wave, and low-brow comedy, "The Most Terrible Time in My Life" is a complex who-done-it that never quite leaves the ground until the third and final act. Attempting to keep audiences attentions by introducing random acts of violence (like the sliced finger and repetitive punch to the leg), our central story remains weak and disjointed. From the beginning, where a random detective (located within a theater) stands up for a seemingly weak mahjongg waiter, we just don't get enough information about the basics of film – the why, who, where, and how – to really care about these two "friends" next course of action. Our director leads us down paths which involve gangsters, missing brothers, misplaced marriages, and then into the dark void of nothingness, until the final act (which I will not give away), that makes you stand up, gain an once of respect for this film, and perhaps eager to see the supposed sequel.With such a variety of different homage happening in this film, director Kaizo Hayashi has his hands full. After two viewings of the first thirty minutes of this film, I knew I was going to have my hands full. There is just too much happening without further detailed explanations. As an audience, linear is not the only option. One cannot complain about strong storytelling, intriguing characters, and a plot that keeps your mind focused on detail, but with "MTTiML" there was nothing of the sort. Hayashi replaces all of these important facets of cinema with cute images. Hama has a retro American car, he holds office in a movie theater that ironically dictates his life, and sometimes gets angry for no reason. There is also some back story about his mother, his sister, and an angry police officer that we are only privy to small flashbacks of. There was more to tell with this story, something that would eventually lead to that entertaining third act, but alas, there was nothing. As my eyes grew heavy, as Hayashi pulled further into a world that had no central meaning, I was ready to give up – but then, that third act. Just watch this film for the final moments, where we have some central conflict, our black and white turns to color, and finally we have some music to accompany the images. That will tell you enough about this film to see the truth.Overall, I cannot stand behind this feature. Within the second viewing there were hopes that it would become more connected, that our characters wouldn't just seem like cheap clichés of themselves, but it never happened. There were three to five great scenes that demonstrated the power of Hayashi's ability to control the camera and lead his actors, but those were nearly drowned out by the dull nature of the rest of the picture. The concept was there, it was the execution that was flimsy. One viewing, that is all you need – it will either entertain or provide a good night's rest. You can be the judge.Grade: ** out of **** (merely for that third act, one could watch those final twenty minutes again and again)

This one caught my eye in the foreign section of Hollywood Video. I've heard it said that noir is a dead type of film, not so. Though in many ways this parodies the noir films of the 40s and 50s, it had its strengths and comes across as a noir pretty well.The lighting was amazing, as was the framing framing; every shot was perfect and the plot wasn't half bad.When the film started, I thought it was set in the 50's or thereabouts, with the protagonist driving a Nash Metropolitan and the theatre featuring Cinemascope. But at one point a character suggests that fingers can be reattached now, and then more modern cars were shown parked on the street, stuff like this can get to you.I loved this, I would definitely recommend it.

A private eye film, in Japanese, shot in black and white with the hero going by the name of Maiku Hama whose office is in a movie theatre. How can you go wrong with a combination like that?This is a really clever film that veers confidently between mild violence, comedy and a relatively interesting story line.It's the little things that really make this film stand out - the scene where Maiku is beaten mercilessly with a stick by his sensei is hilarious. The cold blooded murders aren't graphic, but you'll remember them for a long time. The cinematography is first rate, especially the use lighting which really makes the black and white medium work fantastically well.Highly recommended.

Well, that might be saying much, but this movie was not only slow and predictable, it ended as "TO BE CONTINUED". The wasn't any resolution. They filming style reminded me of a TV show. The characters are paper thin. The only really redeeming quality is a guest scene with Jo Shishido. If you like your detective films white washed and boiled so long they have no more flavor, then give this one a shot.The hero isn't interesting. His motivation (getting his teenage sister through college) is boring. The bad guys look like they came off of a Jackie Chan in Australia set. They aren't scary.... I will NOT be continuing the series any time soon.