Nordling here.
I have no idea how the fuck to review this movie. I'm feeling a bit of fest fatigue, for one, but that's not the main reason. Sion Sono's TOKYO TRIBE is hallucinatory, bottled chaos, set to an amazing soundtrack full of Japanese hip-hop artists, and it tells a very WARRIORS type story about rival gangs fighting over Tokyo turf, and it's one of the most optimistic hip-hop yakuza musicals ever made (which admittedly is probably a list of one). It's bold, crude, full of base humor, probably offensive on some level to just about everyone on the planet in some way, and it's about as full of life as any movie I've seen this year.
There's no one thing I can pin down that can fully describe the experience of seeing TOKYO TRIBE with an audience, especially an audience at Fantastic Fest. Maybe it's the beatboxing Japanese girl who follows villainous Mera (Ryôhei Suzuki) around. Or the human furniture of brother Nkoi (Yôsuke Kubozuka). Or the Shakesperean rapping narrator, who describes how all the gangs of Tokyo are on the edge of war, except for the gang of Musashino Saru, who just want everyone to get along. But the gangs are being manipulated by an outside source, and war must ensue, as Mera does battle with Kai (Young Dais), leader of Musashino Saru. Meanwhile, mysterious Erika (Hiroko Yashiki) arrives in Tokyo and escalates an already tense situation, as crime boss Buppa (Riki Takeuchi) relentlessly pursues her.
I was reading that plot description to myself just now, and it just... it can't explain the sheer joy of this movie. There's something to offend everyone in TOKYO TRIBE; there are near rape sequences, dick jokes, racial stereotype humor, and it's all set at a dizzying hip-hop musical beat that, for people who aren't fans of the genre, will be entirely too much. TOKYO TRIBE is a kitchen sink movie. Sono throws everything at the screen, and the amazing thing is that almost all of it sticks. It's lunatic, and strangely joyous, and while it isn't more than puddle deep, it still manages to be incredibly moving and fun.
But words can't describe it. It's just one of those audience experiences that needs to be shared. The movie defies explanation - especially when it comes to the tone. It's incredibly playful and demands that audiences engage with it. Sono is no stranger to that in his films - they are in no way dull, but he demands your attention and even more, your emotion. It's hard to review because I can't divorce myself from the experience of seeing it here. Bluntly put, TOKYO TRIBE blew the roof off, and it sent us all out on a cinema high, full of the possibilities, the sweet optimism, and the camaraderie of the film. I haven't read the manga the film is based on (written by Santa Inoue), but I can't imagine that it does what Sono does here. He fills TOKYO TRIBE with Japanese hip-hop artists and they eloquently propel the story forward with some tremendous songs. I instantly want this soundtrack.
There is no way TOKYO TRIBE is for anyone but the most adventurous filmgoers. But for those willing to take the ride, they will be rewarded with one of the best film experiences they ahve ever had. And if you're seeing it with an audience willing to have that experience with you - there is no drug that compares. TOKYO TRIBE is a party movie of the best kind. I really need to see it again. It's one of those movies that, for people who see it, all you have to do is say, "TOKYO TRIBE, man," and a smile will erupt on their face, they'll nod knowingly, and boom! Friend for life.
Nordling, out.
