Another Feel Good Koki Mitani comedy, the japanese master of the genre
and his debut film, the 1997 "Welcome Back Mr. McDonald"
is still one of the funniest films i've ever seen. This is not as uproariously
funny as that film but Mitani still entertains us, if in a more
quiet way, then back then.
A comedy taking place in the political world of Japan
and with satire about corruption added. Politicians don't seem to be
that much
liked it seems, and it's the same all over the world. Why ? Maybe because
of the corruption. They are voted in by us and to represent
us, but in reality they are slaves to their "real" Masters,
not us but the company's and other interests that pays them and rules
them.
The Film:
Keisuke Kuroda, 127th Prime Minister of Japan.
Now widely known as "All-Time Worst Prime Minister".
Kuroda (Kiichi Nakai) is an arrogant and corrupted son of a bitch. He's
widely unpopular and with the lowest approval rating ever.
During one of his speeches, after insulting his audience as usual, someone
throws a rock at him and it hits his head. When he wakes
up at the hospital he can't remember anything, who he is or why he's
there. But after watching the TV news he realizes that he actually
is the Prime Minister of Japan and he wonders why his approval ratings
is the lowest ever for a PM.

Eiko Koike as the likeable Secretary Banba (acted
in her second film 2LDK, violent, funny and bizarre)
Only three people (besides the doctor) knows about his
memory loss, and they are his staff of Secretaries, Secretary Isaka
(Dean
Fujioka) and Secretary Banba (Eiko Koike) and one more. He's not supposed
to tell his wife, teenager son or anyone else, and not
to anyone in his Cabinet. Secretary Isaka has an erotic affair with
the Prime Ministers wife, Satoko (Yuriko Ishida) and at the bottom
he's an idealist who wants the best for the People. Isaka has turned
into a cynic under Kuroda's mismanagement of the country, but
now he, with the help of ms. Banba, sees his chance to do something
good for a change. PM Kuroda has changed from slick corrupt
political player into a honest good man and who wants to change the
nation to the better.
But, it isn't that easy. He's only the Prime Minister
and the man with the real power is Cabinet Secretary Tsurumaru (Masao
Kusakari)
and some strategy has to be worked out for the coming power struggle.
There are a lot of characters in this film, besides the PM, his family
and his secretaries there are: The cynical and possibly criminal
journalist Furugori (Koiche Sato), the cook Ms. Suga, an ambitious but
quirky policeman, the PM's mistress, the female asian US
President (that can't speak proper english), the angry builder that
threw the rock and the PM's weird brother in law.
I loved Secretary Ms. Banba, she was so sweet.
The DVD is presented in anamorphic widescreen with a
japanese audio DD 5.1 with english subtitles, region 3, theatrical trailer