2LDK

2LDK is an exceptional short film that combines the prodigious talents of two little-known actresses (Maho Nonami and Eiko Koike) with that of a marvelous director (Yukihiko Tsutsumi) in what turns out to be a surprisingly powerful, sometimes hilarious, and always provocative thriller.

I found the first half of the film, in which there is a lot of one-on-one conversation between the two women--combined fluidly with each woman's private thoughts--to be an absolute riot to watch. 2LDK offers marvelous insight into human nature and even the Japanese culture, reminding one that regardless of social conventions few people say what they -really- mean. Nonami and Koike both play their parts extremely well and with complete credibility. Amazingly, the film was shot in only a week's time despite the fact both women developed high fevers during the filming but carried on during the most physically demanding scenes without a break. I also found it fascinating to hear both actresses express having felt a certain amount of real-life animosity and antagonism towards one another during the making of the film. Great stuff.

In the second half of the film things become much darker as niceties are set aside and the two women let their true feelings show. Small disagreements become egregious offenses and events escalate rapidly to a remarkable, if not entirely unpredictable, ending. The 'weapons' the two use against each other are for the most part household items and as such make the battle even more engaging and intense.

I don't believe there is anyone who can't appreciate--or even completely relate with--the feelings both expressed and provoked in 2LDK; if you've ever had to live with someone you didn't much care for but tolerated in the name of keeping the peace--all the while letting your retributive fantasies 'evolve' from time to time--this film is guaranteed to produce plenty of smiles.

Highly recommended.

A movie in the Japanese "Duel" Project, Duel project you might ask?

"Imagine, if you will, two Japanese directors who meet at a film festival, each familiar with (and appreciative of) each other's work. Then imagine a night of binge drinking that leads to the gauntlet being thrown down - a little friendly competition to see who can make the best 'Duel to the Death' film. Then throw in a few rules like 1) The script can contain no more than 2-3 characters 2) The film must be shot in seven days and on a small budget 3) the film can only take place in one setting, and most importantly 4) at least one character must die. Thus, the Duel Project was born. "

The other movie in this project is Aragmi by Ryuhei Kitamura

The movie itself is about two rival actresses sharing a stylish apartment in Tokyo. They have both auditioned for a part in a new big movie and one of them will get it. They are also fighting over a guy named Takuya.

The movie itself takes place purely in the apartment with only two actors. But it never gets boring. The acting is surprisingly solid from Eiko Koike & Maho Nonami. And camera work and directing is stylish.

The movie is now without flaws, but it's a pretty funny ironic comedy about a rivalry turned bad, very bad. And defintly an enjoyable movie experience.

1st watched 7/11/2006, 7 out of 10(Dir-Yukihiko Tsutsumi): Creepy, yet entertaining chicks taking jealousy to the extreme flick. What this movie is, is a no-holds barred representation of what would happen if two women were filled with jealousy and hatred towards one another and had no conscience whatsoever to keep them from going to extreme measures to put the other away permanently. It starts off slowly as the characters are introduced 1 by 1 after returning home from their respective acting auditions for the same role for an upcoming coveted movie. They share an apartment that consists of 2 Bedrooms, A living room, A dining room and a kitchen; thus the title, 2LDK. We're initially tricked into thinking that the horror aspect of the movie is going to come from outside sources instead of from within. We are then shown thru the character's thoughts that anger is heating up quickly and builds to an overflowing point that never lets go until the end of the movie. At times, the extreme violence tends to pull you away from the screen but the director(Yukihiko Tsutsumi) then promptly grabs you back in as if he knows how you're going to react. This Japanese movie goes places deep within the hearts of characters that Hollywood only barely scratches at the surface. Many times in American movies it's turned into a blood-and-guts fest only without any probing into the characters. This movie is much more than that and for this reason it's a pleasurable(kind of) viewing experience if you can last thru to the very end, despite the graphic violence.

For some reason I was led to believe this was to be a comedy. Upon further research after seeing the movie, I could not find any evidence that it is a comedy, but I'm sure I got that idea from somewhere. Maybe it's considered a dark comedy, considering I don't usually find them funny, but not necessarily bad. Another though was maybe I just did not get the Japanese comedy. I honestly thought this was a drama with a tiny bit of horror on the side.

Anyhow, 2LDK starts off with sort of a slow burn effect, meaning it took some time to establish a feud between the two actresses, who happen to be roommates for the night and both going for the same part in a movie called Yakuza Wives. Every little thing annoys the other, such as slurping their soup and borrowing shampoo without asking, which continuously gains intensity through every scene.

When the "fight to the death" finally happens, it is extremely outrageous and over the top. Everything is used from chainsaws, ice picks, toilet bowl parts, bathtubs along with electric appliances, etc. The end could be considered somewhat comedic, although predictable. Not many movies aren't predictable anymore.

The movie was not bad. In fact, I'd recommend it if you have nothing to do. Plus, I liked how the entire movie only had the two women in it. As stated earlier, I just misunderstood what I was about to see. After reading up on it and realized the "contest" between the two directors, it has stirred my curiosity to see the other movie,which I believe is called Aragami. Very interesting. 6/10

This movie starts off simple enough with Nozomi returning home from an audition. She goes on to have a bit of inner dialogue in which she informs the viewer that one is considered to be in the top forty percent of humanity if one has the basic necessities of life: food, clothing, and shelter. Nozomi, however, does not consider herself to be in this top forty percent because she is a rural girl from Sadoshima living in Tokyo. One is taken back by this statement at first because Nozomi lives in a large 2ldk apartment building.

Nozomi soon falls asleep, but is soon awoken by her room mate's knocking at the door. Nozomi lets Rana into the apartment and it is obvious these two girls who are living together not out of choice, but because their boss has placed them in the same apartment. While not openly rude to each other, Nozomi and Rana's dialogue is quite threadbare and they seem to be determined to one up the other. Did I mention that both women are trying out for the same role?

Tension mounts between the two women and their inner dialogue is quite entertaining. It is obvious the materialistic, brown sugar haired Rana, with her questionable background in the movie business and the plainer, Waseda university attending Nozomi dislike each other, but as additional fuel is put to the fire a conflagration begins to burn without control.

while not a masterpiece by any means, _2LDK_ is a fascinating film which I wish that this film had been released with its partner Kitamura Ryuhei's film _Aragami_, but at least we have this one.