Writer/Director Koji Fukada has constructed a bizarre, dark, farcical comedy in Hospitalité. Four people live in the workshop/apartment combo of the Kobayashi printing company. One day, Kagawa shows up claiming to be the son of a man that financially invested in Kobayashi’s father’s printing company that he’s inherited. Kobayashi, though a combination of a sense of duty and Kagawa’s incredibly dynamic personality agrees to take him on as a part-time employee. Kagawa is masterful in taking a mile when given an inch and before long he’s wormed his way into Kobayashi’s spare bedroom. Without telling the Kobayashi’s he’s even married, his Brazilian wife moves into the house and the new international couple sets to completely upending the seeming normalcy of the Kobayashi household.
Kagawa, played expertly by Kanji Furutachi, begins to manipulate the various members of the Kobayashi family…exposing their pasts and shortcomings and using their secrets against each other for his own benefit. The film takes swipes at xenophobia in Japan and “polite society” in general. It’s absurdist humor and over the top delivery are perhaps just what was needed to deal with themes that would be difficult to bring up in a more straight ahead fashion. I felt like it kind of took a dip at the end and dragged a little bit, but was overall a fun little film.
Cinema of the World 