Gangoose () is a 2018 Japanese crime drama film directed by Yu Irie, starring Mahiro Takasugi, Ryō Katō and . A live action adaptation of the , it follows three young men who steal from criminals to survive.
Cast
Production
It was announced in January 2018 that 's manga was to receive a live-action film adaptation.
Yu Irie was announced as the director while
Mahiro Takasugi, Ryō Katō and were cast as the leads.
Irie had spent several years preparing for the project. Work on the script only began after the completion of the manga, as he did not feel comfortable starting on the script without knowing what the conclusion would be.
In writing the script, Irie wished to convey the fact that there are youths in real life who, like the protagonists, are forced to become criminals to survive. He claimed to have consulted over 10 individuals on the matter, including a documentary filmmaker who covered child welfare facilities. To prepare for their roles, Takasugi, Katō and Watanabe had several meetings with , the author of the non-fiction book on which the manga is based.
Principal photography began on 20 January and wrapped in late February.
Watanabe wrote, composed, produced and sang the lead vocals for
CRYBABY, which was used as the film's theme song.
Release
The film screened at the 31st Tokyo International Film Festival, which was held from late October to early November 2018.
It premiered at the Toho Cinemas Shinjuku theatre on 13 November before opening in theatres across Japan on 23 November.
Reception
Haruhiko Ueshima of
Kinema Junpo gave the film a 4/5 rating, calling it a "proper crime drama". Ueshima opined that Irie's worldview aligns with that of the manga. and , also of
Kinema Junpo, both gave the film a 3/5 rating. Ueno praised Katō's performance as well as Miyavi's presence and choreography, though he felt that some scenes ran for too long and that the emotional scenes could have been "toned down." Yoshida similarly praised Katō's performance, though he felt that the film was too "bland" and "lacking in dramatic excitement."
Mark Schilling of The Japan Times rated the film 2 stars out of 5 and opined that Irie's attempts to introduce serious themes "feels strained and even absurd" given that the film "promises caper comedy". He further argued that the action "takes flight into the realm of kiddie fantasy", which "undercuts the film's pretenses to social realism."
For his work on the film, Irie was nominated for the Best Action Director award at the 2019 , held on 6 April.
External links
