Blues Harp

Ley Lines came out in 1999 but I watched it after Rainy Dog as an end to that trilogy. Overall, I liked it very much but it had some goofy acting near the end, and the characters could have been more fleshed out. That whole ''Black Society Trilogy'' is quite good but I found this film just as good.

The acting is better than the average Miike flick and the characters function more emphatically. They are all lovable people although with many problems both from the past and yet to come. The movie has many of your standard Miikeisms with homosexuality in yakuza circles, thug druggie life, and his many ways to express symbolism. But they all work much better here than in most of his stuff. Additionally, Miike again enjoys his art of boredom scenes and creates a very realistic tone without his more genre-bending contrivances. The music shines in this film and gives it an additional touch of heart and soul which elevates the tragic aspects that come at the end. The humor was pretty low-key but effective nonetheless. Some experimental bits and scenes also worked fairly well and I always love Miike's bold refreshments in directing.

On the paper, this is yet another simple mafia tale from Miike about normal (outcasts), small people, and their struggle, but here it clicked just right. Miike knows how to make a good ending and this movie is a prime example of that.

90s Miike was truly something, as brilliant and trashy he was.