9 Souls (2003)

Synopsis: Critically-acclaimed director Toshiaki Toyoda brings together an ensemble cast of particular distinction for this, his fourth feature and the prison-escape flick he's always dreamed of making. Nine... Critically-acclaimed director Toshiaki Toyoda brings together an ensemble cast of particular distinction for this, his fourth feature and the prison-escape flick he's always dreamed of making. Nine disparate criminals break out of jail and seek a stashed fortune, supposedly hidden away by a tenth soul left behind in prison; among their ranks they count Torakichi, the group's natural leader who killed his own son; the elusive Michiru, who murdered his own father; Kazuma, a former biker who murdered four of his gang members; Inui, a bomb-crazy epileptic; Shiratori, a doctor who was put away for aiding suicide; the temperamental Ushiyama; former chinpira Shishido; pimp Kiyoshi; and porn entrepreneur Fujio. The film's first hour is comedic, with the interactions between the characters highlighting the individuality of each, allowing the audience to get to know them intimately before switching to pure tragedy in the second half. After the group's original goal meets with disappointment, one by one they set out to pursue their individual peace in a solitary fashion, seeking the lost loved ones to whom they must come clean. Sadly, their efforts at atonement are often met with explosive disaster. Modeled on John Sturges' THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963), 9 SOULS seamlessly incorporates surrealist elements and fast pacing into its hip storyline, creating a daring, innovative drama that expands genre tropes to include a vast range of emotion. [More]

Starring: Yoshio Harada, Ryuhei Matsuda, Mame Yamada

Starring: Yoshio Harada, Ryuhei Matsuda, Mame Yamada

Director: Toshiaki Toyoda

Director: Toshiaki Toyoda

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