Party 7 is another one of Katsuhito Ishii's creations and it is just as baffling as it is fascinating. The plot is incomprehensible, the characters follow a very specific logic, and the movie is in a permanent standstill until the end. Am I glad I saw it? Yes! Would I see it again? Not really!
Let's get the positives first, Katsuhito Ishii knows how to create aesthetically appealing characters that ooze with confidence charisma and style. That style is translated to his own visual language as well that uses both animation and very purposeful shots throughout the movie and it has some fun flashes of quirky humour ... if only that translated to one of the most core important things of filmmaking. An engaging and cohesive plot.
Party 7 is about 7 characters in a hotel that converge in one single hotel room, two peepers watching from the outside and the rest in their own unfolding drama on the inside, this could make for a very interesting Tarantino-esque plot (Katsuhito is clearly inspired by Tarantino) but it sort falls under its own logic and pace. When the movie finally gets to somewhere, the movie ends. I would understand if this movie is more character-driven or more of a "vibe" piece but it's neither as the characters that we get introduced to in the movie are so paper thin they're almost like Katsuhito Ishii's 2D animations. There's no one that you really engage with for the plot. The result becomes quite messy and unfocused! Which is a shame cause all of the actors are really doing an amazing job!
In turn this movie would've worked far better if it was a short film, which is what I feel about most of Katsuhito Ishii's efforts. They're just not engaging enough to warrant a full length movie... I think in the context of Katsuhito Ishii's own filmmaking career it is a very interesting movie to watch, but don't expect something engaging, it's just a very fun experiment that didn't quite pay off.
(It's worth noting that this movie is now available in Blu-ray as a part of a Katsuhito Ishii compilation made by Third Window, really happy I have this)
Let's get the positives first, Katsuhito Ishii knows how to create aesthetically appealing characters that ooze with confidence charisma and style. That style is translated to his own visual language as well that uses both animation and very purposeful shots throughout the movie and it has some fun flashes of quirky humour ... if only that translated to one of the most core important things of filmmaking. An engaging and cohesive plot.
Party 7 is about 7 characters in a hotel that converge in one single hotel room, two peepers watching from the outside and the rest in their own unfolding drama on the inside, this could make for a very interesting Tarantino-esque plot (Katsuhito is clearly inspired by Tarantino) but it sort falls under its own logic and pace. When the movie finally gets to somewhere, the movie ends. I would understand if this movie is more character-driven or more of a "vibe" piece but it's neither as the characters that we get introduced to in the movie are so paper thin they're almost like Katsuhito Ishii's 2D animations. There's no one that you really engage with for the plot. The result becomes quite messy and unfocused! Which is a shame cause all of the actors are really doing an amazing job!
In turn this movie would've worked far better if it was a short film, which is what I feel about most of Katsuhito Ishii's efforts. They're just not engaging enough to warrant a full length movie... I think in the context of Katsuhito Ishii's own filmmaking career it is a very interesting movie to watch, but don't expect something engaging, it's just a very fun experiment that didn't quite pay off.
(It's worth noting that this movie is now available in Blu-ray as a part of a Katsuhito Ishii compilation made by Third Window, really happy I have this)