At first it seems that Hana-bi is Japanese crime television fare--nothing to rave about. Then it morphs into a somewhat stranger story with jarringly different tones from one scene to the next. From point-blank executions to cake and fireworks. From flowers and painting to extortion of interest for usurious loans by the yakuza (Japanese mafia). Death is a common thread running throughout, but I found the experience nonetheless a bit discordant.
Review of Fireworks
