Shin’ichirô Ueda follows the immensely popular One Cut of the Dead with a similarly frenetic and joyful caper in Special Actors.
Synopsis: Kazuto has a lifelong dream of becoming an actor, but has been suffering from a special medical condition where he faints and collapses when he gets nervous.
For any director, following an immensely popular debut feature must present a challenge and One Cut of the Dead is arguably one of the buzziest films of the last few years. Ueda excels in taking that same high-energy approach and applying it to the story of an acting agency enlisted to take down a cult. Kazuto (Kazuto Osawa) has a unique condition – confrontation, especially with male figures causes him to faint. Despite his admiration of film superhero Rescueman’s physical and romantic exploits, Kazuto struggles in daily life, turning to a nippled stress ball to comfort him. After a chance encounter, his brother Hiroki (Hiroki Kono) leads him to an acting agency where the players act in everyday situations, rather than films. After some training, the agency recruited by a girl to infiltrate a cult before a family inn is sold by her brainwashed sister.
Combining an excellent ensemble cast and utterly perfect choreography, Special Actors is a joy to watch. Osawa makes for a likeable presence to follow, something which becomes more important as the plot continues to unfold. As was the case for One Cut, to reveal too much about the narrative would be to do the film a disservice but this does further showcase the pleasure that Ueda takes from setting up and taking apart film conventions. The phrase “all acting is a lie” kicks off proceedings and that desire to deceive and shift throughout the narrative is sustained throughout. The production is meticulous and there is absolutely no wasted motion, contributing to high-energy choreographed sequences that really shine.
Special mention has to go to Yaeko Kiyose for her frequently manic performance, made even more powerful by the quiet, deadpan nature of Yosuke Ueda, who says more with a facial expression at times than any amount of dialogue could deliver. Further highlights are Takuya Fuji and Ayu Kitaura as the father-daughter pair behind the agency, with Fuji’s repeat appeals that his staff call him Boss becoming increasingly desperate. What is notable is that everyone in the cast gets at least one shining moment and while the action is primarily focused on Kazuto, the other characters feel well-rounded. That there are such well-rounded characters in what is essentially a farcical story is testament to Ueda’s skill and the warmth of his writing.
Warmth is the key word when discussing Special Actors. While there is some skewering of typical cult recruiting processes and the ridiculous, expensive devices and items that promise a better life this isn’t the film for any kind of biting criticism. One element related to the practices translates to a moment of physical comedy that is unexpected, ridiculous and hilarious that still works critically, but, like the rest of the film, the focus here is on good-natured fun. The play with narrative elements and the sweetness of the central characters make this an incredibly good time.
For the best effect, read very little about Special Actors before you watch. This is self-assured, tightly controlled film-making with a real sense of fun.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Special Actors plays Fantasia 2020
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