Guilty Of Romance

In an abandoned building in the love hotel district of Shibuya, the body of a woman is found, or rather: two mannequins carrying her limbs. Police inspector Kazuko is called away from an intimate gathering in Code37 style to the crime scene and will unravel the true story behind the gruesome discovery together with the audience.

The beginning of this erotic thriller immediately sets the right tone: this is about women and deceit, corruption and untamable lusts.

We get to know two other ladies: first Izumi who, stuck in her loveless marriage to a successful neurotic writer, throws herself into a downward spiral of sexual fantasies, whether she wants to or not. Through this path she meets the enigmatic Mitsuko, who drives her to even greater excesses.

Although this true story could easily descend into vulgar eroticism, Sono delivers in this final part of his “Hate” trilogy an extremely enchanting picture that, with its classical score and kaleidoscopic cinematography, will make us completely forget the world outside. His world is one of the deep recesses of the human soul, which struggles in an almost Kafkaesque manner between morality and an animalistic urge for freedom. His world will become yours for two hours.

All images: © 2011 “Guilty Of Romance”