"Slow start, but then ...."

Written By: Elizabeth A. McTaggart

Kind-of slow to start with, but then picks up to a disturbing and
fascinating conclusion. I loved it!

"Ehhh..."

Written By: Osituck

Dissapointing. Really nothing to it. Being a horror fan and hearing so much about this movie, I expect a little more gore.

"An obscene lack of content."

Written By: Squash 'N' Squeak

Audition is heralded as being one of the greatest horror films of the last decade. It's supposed to be creepy, eerie, shocking, horrifying, etc, etc, etc. It sounds like a winning formula, since a lot of horror films these days sacrifice these aesthetics for gore and an element to gross out the audience. I had high expectations for this movie and expected to be as enthralled as everyone else. Lo and behold, it is yet another ridiculously overrated movie.

It has a nice concept. Shigeharu holds an "audition" to find s replacement for the wife he lost 7 years ago to an illness. The one he finds seems to be perfect at face value, but we soon learn that there's a little more to her than meets the eye. I will give this film one compliment - it certainly takes the time to develop its characters. The theme of loneliness driving people to do ridiculous things (whether it's wanting to marry someone you just met, or just wanting to torture theme) is actually very powerful. However, that's the only good that this movie generates. Its biggest flaw is its pacing. Audition drags on... and on... and on... and on. Hardly anything happens within the first 80 minutes of its 115-minute run time, aside from a moving sack, which almost everyone on the planet has heard of. This film mistakes its boring, droning atmosphere for a dark, brooding one. By the time the excitement begins, I was already left with the desire to shut it off because the previous footage was a sleeping pill. The two main characters have plenty of depth, but they overstay their welcome way before the movie is over, and I found it hard to care about them by the time the "torture" scenes began. It's 115 minutes that could have very easily been condensed to 80 or even 70 minutes. A lot of the film gets very redundant with the two of them going out to dinner on a multitude of times and them both staring lustfully at the phone for God knows how long.

The movie really isn't even that disturbing. I'll admit, though, that the "vomit scene" certainly made me cringe and was legitimately creepy. It's a testament to the idea that horror films don't need gore to be effective or scary. But it's a drop of brilliance in a sea of monotony and mediocrity, and one I don't feel like swimming in again. The scenes of Asami torturing Shigeharu aren't disturbing at all, and actually feel drawn out (like the rest of the movie!). I was relieved when the movie was over, but also mourning over the knowledge that I will never get back those 115 minutes.

Perhaps I'm slow and ignorant, as I'm sure many reviewers will pin on me, but I've seen a lot of movies over the years and this one doesn't come close to being a quality film. Had it been shorter and equipped with a bit more excitement, it probably would have turned out to be much more effective and compelling. Modern horror is thriving quite well, despite what many critics like to tell the world, but this film doesn't exemplify that. Martyrs, The Descent, Let the Right One In, A Tale of Two Sisters (actual quality Asian horror cinema) The Others, and even the Saw movies (which contain good plots and themes, despite them being the favorite whipping boys of critics for content that doesn't even exist in the series) are all far better and more compelling examples of good modern horror movies, and beat out Audition any day of the week.

"Odishon"

Written By: Jason C. Wilkerson

In my mind, Asian cinema comes up with some of the best movies you can possibly see. Unlike a lot of American cinema, Asians typically come up with extremely original and thought provoking works of art from gangster movies like Infernal Affairs, to revenge flicks like Oldboy, and even monster movies like The Host. One of the best Asian filmmakers to come out in recent years is Takashi Miike. From Ichi the Killer to the original version of One Missed Call, Takashi Miike has always been a filmmaker that helped to represent excellence. With Odishon, or Audition in English, Miike (pronounced Me-ay-kay) crafted a modern horror masterpiece that even American metal and movie horror-master Rob Zombie said messed him up when he first saw it.

Audition is the story of Japanese film producer Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi). Seven years after his wife dies, Aoyama decides to find himself a new wife after the urging of his son Shigehiko Aoyama (Tetsu Sawaki). After talking to a colleague that he plans to find a new wife, his colleague comes up with the idea of holding an audition for a movie that would serve for casting the lead female role in a new movie and finding Aoyama a wife. While reviewing the candidates for the audition Aoyama comes across the profile and resume of Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina) and is struck by her picture and her life story. At the actual audition he has eyes for none of the other girls besides Asami, and when the audition is over he can hardly wait to call her. His colleague has misgivings about the girl, and despite his warnings Aoyama starts a relationship anyway.

Audition starts off slow going, building up characters and relationships rather than just jumping into the horror like most American films will do. This actually really helps the horror, you actually feel for the characters so when you find them in horrific situations you truly feel the horror of what they're going through. While the movie takes a little bit of time to pick up, when it does hit, it hits hard and doesn't let go, and leaves you with that, "WTF?!" feeling.

The acting in this movie is superb. The movie mainly follows the building relationship of Aoyama and Asami, and they play their characters deftly. Sawaki plays Aoyama as a businessman having been seven years out of the game becomes obsessed with a girl whom he thinks is perfect for him. Likable, not quite sure of the moral implications of the "audition", and a good father who's just lonely, Sawaki plays a character with many layers and makes the audience feel all of them. Shiina, playing Asami, plays a woman that you feel sorry for and you constantly wonder what really lies beneath the surface. Slightly creepy, damaged, and also very lonely, Shiina shows that something always lies deeper in her character while not always letting the audience into what it is.

I highly recommend this movie, but it's not for everyone, it's not in English so you will have to watch it with subtitles. Also there are some very graphic torture scenes that will last in your memory. For those of you who don't mind, or enjoy that type of thing though, you will be rewarded!

4/5

"Intriguing, psychological thriller ~ SEE IT!"

Written By: Fiery Female

The less you know about this film the better! That's how I first saw "Audition" without knowing anything about the story, and it definitely threw me!

I'm not going to give anything away... I just wanted to note that the beginning IS a bit slow. But NOT in an untolerable way... more like a Hitchcock or "Signs" kind of building up pace.

It's well worth a watch though because, when this movie starts rolling ~ WATCH OUT for TWISTS and TURNS!

Love it and is a personal fave I've watched several times and even given as gifts.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!