This is an exciting thriller about catching a major tax evader, Gondo, who devotes a great deal of his creativity and intelligence to besting the tax authorities.
The methods he uses to hide his profits, from destroying documents to setting up shell corporations to even resorting to partnerships with local violent gangsters to intimidate those who won't comply are fascinating; on the other side of the coin, the cerebral way in which the tax authorities insistently push through barriers and meticulously comb through records to get at their target, despite the fact that they obviously have much more limited means of taking on these criminals than, say, the police force itself, is also interesting.
As a thriller, it's full of all you'd expect. Violence, deviously clever criminal minds, tenacious law enforcement officers, lying, cheating, stealing, and the jilting of ephemeral lovers.
Yet beyond that, there's an important demonstration and celebration of feminine power to enact change in the world. Ryoko, the protagonist and agent of the tax authority, does not come in kicking and screaming with guns blazing. In fact, she's often threatened, physically, and verbally, by far more physically imposing people. Even for a woman, she is rather physically small. Yet she is able to leverage her skills of determination, knowledge of the law, and creativity to fight crime and bring down much bigger foes.
Ohh, and points for showing gameplay of Super Mario Bros. Good times.
Honourable Mentions: The Untouchables (1987). Can't really tear it apart when it has such strong performances from the likes of Robert DeNiro and Sean Connery, but it's a whole different sort of movie even though the story of taking down Al Capone for not paying taxes is very reminiscent of this one. The IRS in this movie literally comes out guns blazing and it's more of a straight action movie. It's not a very deep or meaningful film, but with the performances and the strong 1920s sets and costumes, it certainly does charm.
The methods he uses to hide his profits, from destroying documents to setting up shell corporations to even resorting to partnerships with local violent gangsters to intimidate those who won't comply are fascinating; on the other side of the coin, the cerebral way in which the tax authorities insistently push through barriers and meticulously comb through records to get at their target, despite the fact that they obviously have much more limited means of taking on these criminals than, say, the police force itself, is also interesting.
As a thriller, it's full of all you'd expect. Violence, deviously clever criminal minds, tenacious law enforcement officers, lying, cheating, stealing, and the jilting of ephemeral lovers.
Yet beyond that, there's an important demonstration and celebration of feminine power to enact change in the world. Ryoko, the protagonist and agent of the tax authority, does not come in kicking and screaming with guns blazing. In fact, she's often threatened, physically, and verbally, by far more physically imposing people. Even for a woman, she is rather physically small. Yet she is able to leverage her skills of determination, knowledge of the law, and creativity to fight crime and bring down much bigger foes.
Ohh, and points for showing gameplay of Super Mario Bros. Good times.
Honourable Mentions: The Untouchables (1987). Can't really tear it apart when it has such strong performances from the likes of Robert DeNiro and Sean Connery, but it's a whole different sort of movie even though the story of taking down Al Capone for not paying taxes is very reminiscent of this one. The IRS in this movie literally comes out guns blazing and it's more of a straight action movie. It's not a very deep or meaningful film, but with the performances and the strong 1920s sets and costumes, it certainly does charm.