Grasshopper is a slick, stylish thriller filled with fascinating characters.

 

Following my previous post that had a focus on a very slow-paced, character driven drama which was devoid of action, for today's blog post I wanted to get back to something more in line with my usual tastes. Surprise, surprise, I found another solid movie based on a novel. This time the author was Kotaro Isaka and the novel published in 2004 was known as Grasshopper. The 2015 movie that was based on the novel shared the same name and was directed by Tomoyuki Takimoto. 

Grasshopper tells the tale of three people. One of those people is the rather unfortunate Suzuki. Suzuki is a former middle school teacher that was about to marry the love of his life, Yuriko. On one fateful Halloween night, tragedy struck as Yuriko was run over by a drug fuelled member of a criminal organization. She died after saving the life of a young boy by throwing him out of the path of the oncoming vehicle. This harrowing event haunts poor Suzuki and he vows revenge. In order to achieve his goal, he infiltrates the criminal organization despite not being very capable of murder. Then we have the highly skilled contract killer for hire, Kujira. He has a unique ability to make all of his victims commit suicide.  There's more to him than meets the eye. Lastly, there is another contract killer, Semi, who is highly skilled with a knife and works with his friend, Iwanishi. 

Tomoyuki Takimoto's direction is quite competent and suits the world in which the movie takes place. He managed to get some rather solid performances from what is an extremely talented cast. On top of that, I greatly enjoyed some of the cinematography from Zensho Sakamoto. The camerawork helps set the bleak, dreary, dark tone of the world and there's a wide variety of shot types which helps bring the narrative to life. My favourite shots of the movie are the ones used to showcase Kujira's eery ability. The close-up shots of his eyes and that of his victims are quite unsettling in the best way and Tadanobu Asano's performance really helps sell it. There's also the horror trope involved at one point in the movie as characters suddenly appear in the view of a mirror, I didn't mind it as much as I thought I would as it helped develop a character as we see a glimpse into the mind of a man burdened by sin. 

I greatly enjoyed the action sequences in the movie. The final confrontation is really well done and the climax to it ended in the way I really wanted it to. It was something that had been built up to during the course of events and the pay off had me smiling. The fight felt like a big struggle between two highly skilled fighters and there was some real tension as well as some excellent character moments. 

Just before the final confrontation takes place, there's an epic shootout and a chase of sorts as one of the main characters hunts down their target. I love the way that it is shot as it's a really badass moment that showcases some skill and sheer determination. I loved that the antagonist and their henchmen are very hurriedly fleeing whilst the badass solo main character simply stalks after them. 

If I had to nit-pick a negative from the action sequences, I did notice that in the first fight sequence of the movie, the enemies all stand around and wait for their turn to attack the lone killer. The scene does try to address this by having them cowering away, showing fear for their lives and that's at least more than most movies do. At one point, the killer is also attacked from behind with a glass bottle and so, there was at least some attempt to rectify this mistake. 

At one point, there's a sequence in which a singular character is run over by a car. I felt like the CGI was really terrible at the point of impact as the body moves in some very strange and unrealistic ways and I was taken out of the moment. 

The soundtrack is an eclectic blend of hard rock, operatic and piano numbers. My favourite piece of music used in the movie comes at a point where Suzuki is being chased down by the criminal organization. As soon as the guitar kicked in, I was pumped and the snazzy drumming was the cherry on top.

Performance wise, all of the cast are tremendous. Tadanobu Asano is a veteran at his craft and he is simply brilliant in Grasshopper. He conveys the nuances and subtleties expertly whilst also being stoic when necessary. In fact, Kujira is my favourite character of the movie as he is surprisingly endearing and through dialogue, we find out about his tragic backstory. By the end of the movie, I found myself rooting for him.  

The biggest surprise for me was the performance by Ryosuke Yamada. After having seen the pop singer cast mainly in Ikemen type roles, this was a real breath of fresh air. He portrays the rather easy-going, laidback killer, Semi, remarkably well. The father/son style dynamic his shares with his boss, Iwanishi is one of my favourite aspects of the movie as they bicker like family whilst showing that they do in fact care for one another. Credit must also go to Jun Murakami for his portrayal of Iwanishi. 

Toma Ikuta is also excellent in the leading role of Suzuki. He really does a good job at portraying the rather meek, non-threatening nature of the former elementary school teacher. I also have to commend the script for never suddenly turning him into a competent killer throughout the events of the movie which take place in a matter of days. It's his incompetency that makes him likable and ill-suited for the world he has found himself in. We even see his inability to harm a cockroach in a flashback featuring his late wife to be, Yuriko. He's the moral heart of the story and the most decent person involved. I love the saccharine flashbacks that showcase his loving relationship with Yuriko. The flashbacks have a warmer colour palette than most of the movie as it shows a happier time for the protagonist. It also establishes just how different the world has become in Suzuki's eyes after having lost the love of his life. Haru did wonderfully in the role of Yuriko and his performance felt organic and full of warmth. The chemistry between Ikuta Toma and Haru was a joy to behold. 

Nanao might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed her performance as Hiyoko. She expressed Hiyoko's increasing anger and frustration with precision. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Grasshopper and the movie made me want to read the novel upon which it is based. If you're a fan of thrillers that have a supernatural element to them which pays off in the climax, then Grasshopper might just be for you! I should also note that the characters development takes precedent over the revenge plot and that's not a bad thing in my humble opinion as it makes the movie stand out amongst a sea of revenge thrillers.