FILM: Takeshi Kitano's 'Kikujiro'

I recently stumbled upon Kikujiro after after seeing its soundtrack posted on a friends facebook wall; and I'm literally seething at the fact that my life has been deprived of this film for so long.

The film is set in Japan and follows a boy's quest to find his mother; and the unlikely friendship created on this quest. Besides having the most infectious soundtrack ever, this film is a winner on so many levels.

Firstly, I love the universal themes that the film plays upon: themes of wanting to belong; wanting a mother's love. It’s this universality that kept me in tune with the film from the get go; regardless of subtitles.

Also, I absolutely love the comical pairing of the two protagonists; played by Yusuke Sekiguchi and Takeshi Kitano; who with little dialogue were able to make me both laugh out loud and feel sad at the tender moments of the film.

Most importantly, I'm a fan of Kikujiro because it’s simply random; I love the wackiness of the plot. One bit of warning though, at times the film does feel like it's dragging along; but the ending makes it all worthwhile. Also, unlike me, if you're not a fan of interpretative dance; you might feel inclined to fast forward a few times.

Below is a short example of how funny this film is (have a peep):