2LDK Reviews

Two female Japanese flatmates, who happen to be competing for the same acting role and boyfriend, see their rivalry boil over into one hell of a cat-fight! Highly entertaining with dark humour and a bit of comical brutallity. The first 35 minutes introduces the characters and builds up the tension between them, then the rough stuff starts which begins with a bit of bitch-slapping then moves into no-holds-barred territory where chainsaws and samurai swords are preferred. Not as bloody as I was expecting it to be though, but still pretty violent. Really enjoyable, destined to be a cult favourite!

This is one of the movies done for the "Duel Project". The other movie is Aragami. Basically it was a challenge sent out to a couple of directors from a producer. I tell you, these Japanese know how to conduct movie business. Anyway here is the terms of the project:-one set.- two to three characters.- the characters have to fight each other.- at least one of the characters must die.- filmed in seven days."2LDK" stands for 2 bedrooms, living room, dining room, and kitchen. Why is that important to know? Well this is your entire set that you will be seeing for this short 70 minute film. Also, if you've read the rules above, there are only 2 characters in this film. One being played by Eiko Koike (Nozomi) and the other by Maho Nonami (Lana). There are actually a few other characters but they have no lines or their voices are only heard over the phone.The story is really simple and not deep or complex at all. In a way, this is alright since the movie is only 70 minutes, but it would have been nice to have a little more of a deeper story. There is some nice cinematography at certain points, but overall it isn't anything really spectacular. This movie actually seemed like it would have had a lot of potential to have some nice camera work since it is only one setting, but it seemed to fall just a bit short with it.The dialogue is pretty good and more on the funny side, which is needed to help push this movie along with its simple story. The film actually does something interesting throughout the movie and that is it lets you hear the thoughts that the characters are actually thinking. You get a lot of this in the first half of the movie and this is where most of the comedy comes in, since most of the thoughts are sarcastic remarks. Although you do get a lot of girl-talk in the beginning, this movie will be highly entertaining for the male population. I don't have to explain what every male will be thinking about while watching this. Especially the oil rub scene.The action kicks in at about the 40 minute mark. Basically the first half is all talk while the second half is an all out "cat fight." It is somewhat violent and a tad gory, but for some reason it is funny. I mean you've got two young women literally destroying each other with whatever they can find in their apartment and I find myself chuckling when one of them is electrocuting the other. I will find it hard for anybody not to laugh.The acting is pretty good. Eiko Koike does a good job as the shy timid good girl, while Maho Nonami plays the exact opposite of whatever Eiko is. You can already see why they are at odds with each other.In the end this movie could have been a little better if it had a more rich story and maybe some more interesting camera work, but it will entertain you. With the rules that were imposed on the project this is definitely a nice piece of work.My choice for the winner: Aragami, and it wasn't based on the fact that I'm a Kitamura fan.Watch both films and make your own decision.

With some actresses I know, this could be considered a documentary.

The synopsis on the back of the box is far more entertaining than the film itself.

This is a lessen in film making. 2 characters, 1 location & an 8 day shoot. Nicely shot and cut.

A wild and crazy little Japanese movie that's almost like a serious version of Looney Tunes in live action with a nihilistic mean streak.

A great movie about the effects of jealousy and irony. The tension is built up nice and when these two girls actually go at it, it's a sight to behold.

I was pissed when I first came across this in suncost. I was about half way through a scrip that is pretty much the exact same thing, but this is just so good I just had to let it go.

7/10 This is one of those films I could see if roomies wernt woried bout what happened the next day and finnally had it out..lol. Short film(bout an hour) but makes its point. Spends 1st part builting up to the fight.going from catty,to vindictive, to "ITS ON GIRL".Me personally I kinda think there both insaine,just differnt extreams.When every thing goes sideways..it REALLY goes sideways.More grafic then silly..but still a good watch.

Fast moving, bizarre little movie about two roomates who are trying to kill each other. Place your bets!

A very fun and effective film about two roommates who eventually drive each other crazy. This is a great example of less is more, with a lean running time of 70 minutes. There are only two actresses in the whole film but they work amazingly well off of each other. The setting is a confined, but lush apartment, that feels like a character in it's own right. Really creative use of camera movement, that helps you understand how unstable things become. The last third reaches heights of cartoon-like absurdity. The whole movie is filled with moments of humor. The ending, imho, is a bit of a cheat, but I couldn't see it ending any other way. A lesser known gem of a movie.

Hilarious when it absolutely shouldn't be. You'll spend half of the movie thinking, "Nah, she wouldn't do tha- SHE DID!"

Great Movie! A shit load better than Single White Female. Eiko Koike is a beautiful angel from the heavens!

A fairly dark film about two actresses with very different personalities and backgrounds, who've both auditioned for the same part spend a night in an apartment together.

Tension escalates to catastrophic levels very quickly, and things never drag, even as they're doing very mundane stuff.

Recommended

This film is one half of the Duel Project, the result of a drunken challenge between two famous Japanese directors. In making their films, they had a set of rules to abide:

1. Only 2-3 characters.
2. The entirety of the film must take place in one set.
3. The two lead characters must fight to the death.
4. Must be shot in seven days.


The tension between the two girls in 2LDK builds perfectly, and by the time they get to fighting, it seems perfectly reasonable for them to fight to the death. However, the pacing of the fights seemed a little off to me. Too much stopping, kills the momentum a little.

Whereas the characters in Aragami were somewhat 2-dimensional, the main characters in 2LDK have more depth and personality.

Both films stretched the rules of the Duel Project, but 2LDK followed them closer, only using supporting characters in hallucinations, phone calls and photographs.

Both films have distinctly different styles and tones, and both are good in their own way. Because of this, it is hard to necessarily call one "better" than the other-- so in order to make my decision of who won, I have to look at which film followed the rules closer. Therefore:

MY PICK FOR WINNER OF THE DUEL PROJECT: 2LDK

I never would've thought that two actors in one set could keep me entertained. A Miike-esque film about a feud between two roommates that turns into an all-out brawl. Brutal, bloody, and amusing.

I love this movie. It's probably no more than an hour long and entirely shot in a small Tokyo flat yet it's full of dark and sadistic satire. The ultimate cat fight movie with some crazy fighting in it. It's amazing how far the two girls went from beginning to end, and the ending is just wrong.

2LDK is a renters abreviation that stands for 2 small bedrooms,Living room,Dining Room,Kitchen.Cinematically this stands for an inventive use of space because this is where all the action takes palce and no it's not boring.Two polar opposite actresses vying for the same movie role reach the breaking point one afternoon untill were watching a very funny take on War Of The Roses Asian style but with more violence. Good Stuff

This is the definition of a simple storyline turned into brilliant satire.

Two roommate girls wanting to win an audition for a role in a film pretty much end up trying to kill each other when they know only one of them is gonna get it. These Japanese are crazy, yo.