Countdown to Cannes 2010: The Films: OUTRAGE

The seventh offering in this run down of the most important films showing at next week's 63rd Cannes Film Festival is a particularly exciting one for yours trully. For on Monday the 17th Takeshi Kitano's latest gangster offering, entitled 'Outrage' will burst onto festival screens, screening In Competition, and will hopefully live up to the pre-festival buzz. If the styling on show in the show card image above is any kind of indication of the film's quality, the director should have no problem walking away from the festival with more than a few hearty slaps on the back. Japanese director Kitano has a rich affiliation with the Cannes film festival: in fact, the actor turned auteur has appeared at the festival in various roles more than most over the past 27 years. His association with the auspicious festival actually warrants a run-down here, such is its length and diversity:

2010 - 'Outrage' - In Competition Director, Screenplay, Film Editor 2007 - 'Chacun Son Cinema' ('To Each His Own Cinema') - Out of Competition Director 2000 - 'Gohatto' - In Competition Actor 1999 - 'Kikujiro' - In Competition Director, Screenplay, Actor 1998 - 'Tokyo Eyes' - Un Certain Regard Actor 1996 - 'Kids Return' - Section parallèle Director 1993 - 'Sonatine' - Un Certain Regard Director, Screenplay, Film Editor, Actor 1983 - 'Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence'- In Competition Actor

'Ourage' is Kitano's return to the gangster genre, following a departure after offering some of the genre's modern classics, and from where Im sitting it looks to be a grand return at that. The Cannes-provided synopsis offers the following...

In a ruthless battle for power, several yakuza clans vie for the favor of their head family in the Japanese underworld. The rival bosses seek to rise through the ranks by scheming and making allegiances sworn over saké. Long-time yakuza Otomo has seen his kind go from elaborate body tattoos and severed fingertips to becoming important players on the stock market. Theirs is a never-ending struggle to end up on top, or at least survive, in a corrupt world where there are no heroes but constant betrayal and vengeance.

The story begins with Sekiuchi (Kitamura Soichiro), boss of the Sannokai, a huge organised crime syndicate controlling the entire Kanto region, issuing a stern warning to his lieutenant Kato (Miura Tomokazu) and right-hand man Ikemoto (Kunimura Jun), head of the Ikemoto-gumi. Kato orders Ikemoto to bring the unassociated Murase-gumi gang in line, and he immediately passes the task on to his subordinate Otomo (Beat Takeshi), who runs his own crew. The tricky jobs that no-one wants to do always end up in Otomo's lap.

'Outrage' is already set in stone on the list of films I will definitely see at this year's festival, and if I had it my way, it would walk away with the Grand Jury prize in two weeks time. For if Kitano can return to the heights of 'Hana-bi' and 'Sonatine', his 'Outrage' will surely be good enough for the highesst of all accolades.

Reasons to be Excited

- Kitano's return to the gangster genre that made his name in cinema. 'Zatoichi' was of course a fantastic addition to the genre, albet in a classic, Samurai outer-casing, and 'Hana-bi' is a true classic, but it is 'Sonatine' that stands as Kitano's best on-genre offering to date. If 'Outrage' can get anywhere near that film's prowess, we will have anther classic to add to the gangster list. Either way, even before viewing, it is already a must-see.

- Hopefully, 'Outrage' might spell the end of Kitano's recent absurdist swing. While I have enormous respect for his earlier works, the left-field offerings he has lately take to producing are far less welcome. 'Takeshis' was a slightly unnerving oddball look at his own career, which appeared a little narcissistic at best and hugely self-indulgent at worst, while 'Glory to the Filmmaker' was an absurdist offering that I found little redemption in. To say that the step back from the left spells a good development is an understatement.

- Even in unsubtitled Japanese, the trailer looks great: the lack of English subtitles or captions is indication that the film is still yet to secure an American or indeed European distribution deal, though Warner Brothers will put it out in the Far East. The trailer looks very sharp, and the director's performance (under acting pseudonym Beat Takeshi) as central character Otomo looks incredibly cold. Just look at the opening shot, and the cold composure on his face...