Weak Spot: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Italy/West Germany, 1975
Director: Peter Fleischmann
Writers: Jean-Claude Carrière, Martin Walser, Peter Fleischmann
Cast: Michel Piccoli, Ugo Tognazzi, Mario Adorf, Adriana Asti, Dimos Starenios, Thymios Karakatsanis, Kostas Sfikas

Release Date: January 27th, 2025 (UK), January 28th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 111 Minutes 12 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Ugo Tognazzi (La grande bouffe) is an innocent playboy holiday rep in Greece who is picked up by two secret agents (Michel Piccoli, Le Mépris and Mario Adorf, The Italian Connection). Suspected of being part of an underground resistance, he is to be transported by the agents to Athens where he will be interrogated by superior officers." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Weak Spot was scanned in 4K resolution from the original negative, and supplied to Radiance Films by Studio Canal as a High-Definition digital file."

Weak Spot comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.6 GB

Feature: 32.4 GB

The source is in excellent shape; colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. This audio track is in excellent shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an archival TV interview with actor Michel Piccoli discussing Weak Spot (4 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM mono French with removable English subtitles), an interview with soundtrack expert Lovely Jon discusses Ennio Morricone’s score (26 minutes 20 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Travis Woods, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 20-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an essay titled We Don’t Need Another Hero: Weak Spot, Masculinity, and Heroism written by Kat Ellinger, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Peter Fleischmann directed Weak Spot. His other notable films include Hunting Scenes from Bavaria, Havoc, Frevel, and Hard to Be a God.

A man on holiday is arrested and not informed of the charges against him. He’s forced to go to another location to clear his name, where his alleged co-conspirator is being held. Along the way, a series of suspicious events unfold, offering him many chances to flee.

Weak Spot is a brilliantly executed film rooted in paranoia. It’s a film where no one is what they seem. A man on a holiday finds himself in a Kafka-like scenario, arrested but not formally charged with a crime. What are their motives, who can be trusted, and who's watching who?

The opening setup does a superb job putting you in the mind of the accused. There is a vagueness in the initial setup, which poses more questions than answers. Even when things start to come into focus, along comes another moment of misdirection. That said, by the time Weak Spot reaches its moment of truth, the answers are crystal clear.

Weak Spot is an excellent example of just how important casting is. Though there are three notable characters portrayed by Michel Piccoli (Contempt), Ugo Tognazzi (La Grande Bouffe), and Mario Adorf (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?), it is the performances of the first two that carry Weak Spot. Michel Piccoli portrays a mild-mannered police investigator who transports the suspect, brilliantly portrayed by Ugo Tognazzi. The way in which their two characters play off each other is Weak Spot's greatest asset.

Though there is a deliberateness to the pacing that some might find too slow, there are no throwaway moments. It is a well-crafted narrative that does a phenomenal job building tension. Also, Weak Spot has an exemplary score by Ennio Morricone (Once Upon a Time in the West) that heightens the mood. That said, Weak Spot is a film that is best to go into blind; the less you know, the better. Ultimately, Weak Spot is a film that fans of Kafka or Costa-Gavras Z should thoroughly enjoy.

Weak Spot gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Running on Karma: Limited Edition – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 2003
Directors: Johnnie To, Wai Ka-fai
Writers: Wai Ka-fai, Yau Nai-hoi, Au Kin-yee, Yip Tin-shing
Cast: Andy Lau, Cecilia Cheung, Cheung Siu-fai

Release Date: January 27th, 2025 (UK), January 28th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Stereo Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £17.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Big (Lau) was once a devoutly religious man, but turned away from his vocation as a Buddhist monk when he could no longer bear the weight of his unusual gift: the ability to see people’s past lives and predict the impact of karma upon their present and future. Having found a new life as a bodybuilder, he is drawn to use his sixth sense for good after meeting Lee Fung-yee (Cecilia Cheung, The Legend of Zu), a cop investigating a homicide. But as the two grow closer and work together to catch a murderer, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Big can see Lee’s past lives, too…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "from a new 2K restoration."

Running on Karma comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.1 GB

Feature: 27.7 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Cantonese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent, and the dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced. Range-wise action sequences sound robust, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 18 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival “making of…” featurette (18 minutes 39 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal titled Reap the Whirlwind (24 minutes 52 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto, an audio commentary with Frank Djeng, an O-Card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a 20-page booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Burden of Hope Untangling the Stylistic and Moral Knots of Running on Karma written by David West and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Johnnie To co-directed Running on Karma. His other notable films include All About Ah-Long, Running Out of Time, The Mission, Fulltime Killer, PTU, Breaking News, Thrown Down, Election, Election 2, and Exiled. Wai Ka-fai co-directed Running on Karma. His other notable films include Peace Hotel, The Shopaholics, and Written By.

A former Buddhist monk who can read people's karma is now a bodybuilder and a stripper.

At the heart of Running on Karma is a story about fate and how past lives tie into one's destiny. Because of an act of kindness from an undercover CID officer named Lee, the protagonist, simply referred to as Big, decides to use his powers and help her catch an escaped murderer. Realizing who Lee was in her past life, she wants to atone for the atrocities she committed by finding and bringing the man who killed a childhood friend of Big’s. Through Lee’s selfless act, Big is able to come full circle and shed the person he had become.

Running on Karma is a textbook example of how effortlessly Hong Kong cinema blends genres. There is humor, action, and the supernatural, which make for a wild roller coaster-like ride. For a film that is filled with moments that defy reality and are downright silly, it is ultimately its poignant moments that hit you the hardest. Despite being made for entertainment, Running on Karma is a film overflowing with deeper meaning.

The main draw of Running on Karma is Andy Lau’s (As Tears Go By) portrayal of Big. Though he delivers another exemplary performance that steals every scene he’s in, seeing him in a muscle suit adds another layer to everything. Another way that Andy Lau greatly aids Running on Karma is when it comes to humor, which plays off of his persona and makes references to his other films.The other performance of note is Cecilia Cheung’s (King of Comedy) portrayal of an undercover CID officer named Lee. Cecilia Cheung and Andy Lau have a tremendous amount of onscreen chemistry, and her character is the yang while Lau’s character is the yin.

Running on Karma does not fail to deliver moments that defy reality when it comes to stunt work and action set pieces. The most memorable moments are those with an Indian murderer who can contort his body to fit into the most unusual places. Another standout moment is a scene where Big showcases for Lee his martial arts skills by splitting a tissue in half.

The narrative does a superb job drawing you into the story that unfolds. Things move briskly, ensuring that pacing is never an issue, and the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum to a bleak coda that perfectly brings the protagonist's journey to an end. Despite working effectively in every genre, Johnnie To is primarily known for his crime films, which unfairly burdens his other films. That said, those who embrace Running on Karma for what it is will be blown away by an extraordinary exploration of spirituality.

Running on Karma gets an excellent release from Eureka Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Love and Crime – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1969
Director: Teruo Ishii
Writers: Teruo Ishii, Masahiro Kakefuda, Shizuo Nomami
Cast: Sada Abe, Yukie Kagawa, Takashi Fujiki, Shôtarô Hayashi, Tatsumi Hijikata, Kenjirô Ishiyama, Yoshi Katô, Asao Koike, Junko Maki, Ken Sawaaki, Kichijirô Ueda, Teruo Yoshida

Release Date: January 20th, 2025 (UK), January 21st, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 23 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Japan’s legendary “King of Cult” Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men, Shogun’s Joy of Torture) delivers four dramatized tales of real life crimes of passion involving women across the ages in this grotesque anthology featuring the stories of the “Hotel Nihonkaku Murders”, the notorious “poison wife” and last woman in Japan to be executed by beheading, Oden Takahashi, the brutal serial killer Yoshio Kodaira and the story of Sada Abe, the infamous castratice featured in Nagisa Oshima’s In the Realm of the Senses." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "High Definition Blu-ray presentation in 2.35:1 aspect ratio".

Love and Crime comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.8 GB

Feature: 25.5 GB

The source used for this transfer is in good shape. And though some source damage remains, it is never too intrusive. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong throughout, compression is solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/poster), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an introduction by Mark Schilling (17 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Jasper Sharp & Amber T., reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and a 16-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information and an essay titled Love and Crime written by Nathan Stuart.

Included is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray.

Summary:

In the late 1960s, Teruo Ishii was at the forefront of a genre of films known as Ero guro films, known for their sex and violence, fusing these two things into something that is both erotic and grotesque. Notable Ero guro films directed by Teruo Ishii are Shogun's Joy of Torture, Orgies of Edo, Inferno of Torture, Horrors of Malformed Men, and Yakuza's Law. This brings us to Love and Crime, a film that firmly fits into the Ero guro sub-genre.

Most of Teruo Ishii's Ero guro films, like Love and Crime, are anthologies made of different stories connected thematically. Love and Crime is four stories about crimes committed by women; all of these are connected by wraparound segments revolving around an autopsy doctor looking into the past for clues about a recent case. All of the stories are based on true-life crimes: a woman who kills to gain ownership of a hotel, Sada Abe, a woman who struggled with her lover and cut off his penis, a serial rapist who preyed on women during wartime, and a woman who poisoned her leper husband. The woman who poisoned her husband was the last woman executed in Japan by beheading.

These four stories have an uneven quality; the strongest is the story about the serial rapist, while the weakest is the story about Sada Abe. There have been better adaptations of Sada Abe’s story, notably In the Realm of Senses. The most interesting aspect of the Sada Abe story is how they got an on-camera interview with her.

Love and Crime jumps right in; it opens with its goriest moment, an autopsy scene that perfectly encapsulates the Ero guro genre. This is a gruesome sequence in which a cadaver is cut open while the opening credits unfold. Also, though there is an abundance of on-screen carnage, Love and Crime's hardest moments to watch are those where the serial rapist assaults and kills his victims.

Teruo Ishii is a filmmaker who often worked with limited resources, excelling with what he was given more often than not. His rock-solid direction elevates a weak script, and he manages to get a lot of cast when it comes to the performances. Asao Koike (The Insect Woman) delivers the most memorable performance in the role of the serial rapist. Ultimately, Love and Crime, despite its shortcomings, succeeds because of Teruo Ishii's ability to deliver a product that exceeds its limitations.

Love and Crime gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Passion – Entertainment One (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: France/Germany, 2012
Director: Brian De Palma
Writers: Brian De Palma, Natalie Carter, Alain Corneau
Cast: Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace, Karoline Herfurth, Paul Anderson, Dominic Raacke, Rainer Bock, Benjamin Sadler, Michael Rotschopf

Release Date: November 5th, 2013
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Brian De Palma returns to the sleek, sly, seductive territory of Dressed To Kill with an erotic corporate thriller fueled by sex, ambition, image, envy and the dark, murderous side of passion. At a Berlin ad agency, an outgoing American and her no-nonsense European colleague engage in an escalating personal and professional rivalry that quickly becomes a deadly power struggle." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Passion comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 20.6 GB

Feature: 18.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are solid, and compression is very good.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English. For this review I only listened to the DTS-HD 5.1 audio track. Also, there are a few dialog exchanges in German, and these come with hardcoded English subtitles. The DTS-HD 5.1 audio track sounds excellent; dialog is always clear, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with director Brian De Palma and actresses Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace (7 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include previews for other films released by Entertainment One.

Summary:

A rivalry between a protégé and her boss turns deadly when one of them is publicly humiliated by the other.

Filmmakers are drawn to some genres more than others, whether by choice or because they are pigeonholed. For me, the most exciting and entertaining for my money is the thriller genre. It is a genre that Alfred Hitchcock set the ground rules for and one that Brian De Palma has flourished in throughout his career. After a five-year break from directing, Brian De Palma returned last year with the erotic-charged thriller Passion, a film that finds its origins in a French thriller titled Crime d'amour.

Narrative-wise, things are straightforward; well, at least the first two acts are fairly conventional. That is until the pivotal final act comes around, and then things start to go awry. There is a shift from reality to a realm rooted in the darkest recesses of one's mind. The opening setup almost gives off the impression that this is a soap opera and not a murder mystery. To further reinforce the lack of danger early on, the moments that should signal that something big and important is about to happen are not fully taken advantage of. Keeping audiences engaged in a thriller is difficult once momentum is lost. That said, timing is everything.

There are two performances that stand out: Noomi Rapace (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), who portrays Isabelle James, an executive's protégé, and Karoline Herfurth (Perfume: The Story of a Murderer), who portrays Isabelle James’ assistant. These two characters serve a similar role; they are working under someone who they aspire to be, and yet internally they could not be more unalike. The most disappointing performance is Rachel McAdams's (The Notebook) portrayal of Christine Stanford, the manipulative boss whose character takes credit for Isabelle James's ideas. Her performance is too one-note.

Though there are areas where the narrative is lacking, when it comes to the visuals, Passion has all of the style that one has come to expect from a Brian De Palma film. Without giving away too much of what happens in the final act, there is a nightmarish quality to the events that unfold, which provides a deeply satisfying experience. Another area where Passion excels is Pino Donaggio’s (Carrie) superb score, which does a phenomenal job reinforcing the mood.

Since the dawn of the new millennium, Brian De Palma’s output has been spotty. Though these films still have moments that remind us of what Brian De Palma is capable of as a filmmaker, the only one that stands out is Femme Fatale. That said, despite its shortcomings, Passion is actually a very good thriller that fans of Brian De Palma should thoroughly enjoy.

Entertainment One gives Passion a solid audio/video presentation.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Underworld Beauty: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1958 (Underworld Beauty), Japan, 1959 (Love Letter)
Director: Seijun Suzuki (Both Films)
Cast: Michitarô Mizushima, Mari Shiraki, Shinsuke Ashida, Tôru Abe, Hideaki Nitani, Setsuko Amamiya, Tomio Aoki, Shôki Fukae (Underworld Beauty), Kyôsuke Machida, Frank Nagai, Hisako Tsukuba, Keisuke Yukioka (Love Letter)

Release Date: January 27th, 2025 (UK), January 28th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 87 Minutes 9 Seconds (Underworld Beauty), 39 Minutes 28 Seconds (Underworld Beauty)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Retrieving the diamonds he stashed before his arrest, thief Miyamoto hopes to help his old partner Mihara, crippled during the heist. Their former boss, crime lord Oyane, offers to mediate with a foreign buyer, but secretly wants the stones for himself. The deal goes awry when gunmen appear on the scene. Mihara swallows the diamonds but dies in the chase, leaving a valuable corpse in the police morgue. Miyamoto forms an uneasy alliance with Mihara's wildcat sister Akiko to keep the gems away from gangsters, cops and even Akiko's greedy boyfriend." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Underworld Beauty), 3.5/5 (Love Letter)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Underworld Beauty was transferred in 4K by the Nikkatsu Corporation and supplied to Radiance Films as a High-Definition digital file."

Underworld Beauty comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.4 GB

Feature: 23.6 GB (Underworld Beauty), 10.8 GB (Love Letter)

The source looks great; there is still some minor debris. Image clarity and compression are solid, black levels and contrast are strong, and the image retains an organic look. Love Letter's source is not in as good of shape; it has more noticeable debris.

Audio: 4/5 (Underworld Beauty), 3.5/5 (Love Letter)

Underworld Beauty comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The source is in great shape; it's a noticeable improvement over this film’s previous home video releases. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds are well represented.

Love Letter comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Though there is background hiss throughout, dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Underworld Beauty (3 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with critic Mizuki Kodama (14 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Love Letter (2 minutes 54 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a short film directed by Seijun Suzuki titled Love Letter (39 minutes 28 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Seijun Suzuki biographer William Carroll for Love Letter, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 20-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information for Underworld Beauty, an essay titled The Moth That Flies Too Close to the Flame written by Claudia Siefen-Leitich, an archival review of Underworld Beauty written by Seizo Okada, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Underworld Beauty: Seijun Suzuki worked at a furious pace, making forty-two films in a mere span of eleven years while working for the Nikkatsu Corporation. During these years, he primarily worked in the yakuza genre. Seijun Suzuki would, for the first time with his seventh film, Underworld Beauty, shoot a film in widescreen. 

Underworld Beauty opens with a title card that proceeds the main title that boldly announces "Seijun Suzuki’s Seventh Film", Quentin Tarantino would open Kill Bill in a similar way. In Underworld Beauty, Seijun Suzuki would showcase his western cinema influences with his use of film noir shadows and doo-wop-sounding music.

The narrative revolves around Miyamoto, a man who has just spent three years in prison. He is still in possession of the diamonds that he stole from a heist that led to his going to prison. Miyamoto tries to sell the diamonds and use the money to help a woman who was injured during the heist. From there, a series of double crosses and other betrayals unfold.

Underworld Beauty may not be as flamboyant or chaotic as Seijun Suzuki’s later films, but he still manages to come up with innovative and imaginative shots throughout. Wataro Nakao’s lush black-and-white photography is filled with all the film noir hallmarks, like playing with shadow and light. Every inch of every frame is filled with an amazing amount of style.

The acting is subdued for the most part, including Michitaro Mizushima's performance as Miyamoto, which at times is too one-dimensional as he spends most of the time brooding. Mari Shiraki's performance as Akiko is a more developed one as she transforms from the grieving sister into a femme fatale. 

That said, Underworld Beauty's screenplay is its weakest asset, as it follows the conventions of the film noir genre, playing things by the numbers. The score is one of the most bizarre that I have heard so far from a Suzuki film, and at times it feels oddly out of place when used in the film's noir settings. Also, the happy ending feels tacked on and out of place. Although Underworld Beauty may not contain all the flashy camera work his later work is renowned for, Suzuki, through his inventiveness, manages to show hints of things to come.

Love Letter: A nightclub performer who had a two-day romantic encounter with a forest ranger has kept their relationship alive by writing to each other for the last two years. She becomes concerned when his letters are less frequent; not wanting to lose him, she makes an unannounced trip to see him. Once reunited, will they rekindle their love, or has something happened that will keep them apart?

Love Letter is not the type of film that one thinks of when discussing Seijun Suzuki; he’s a filmmaker known mostly for his crime films. Love Letter is a romantic melodrama in which two lovers who have been apart try to come together after a secret about one of them is revealed. Without giving anything away about Love Letters twist, I will say that the way in which the narrative unfolds leading towards this reveal is perfectly executed.

Though there are some secondary characters, there are only two performances that matter: Hisako Tsukuba (The Golden Bat) in the role of the nightclub performer and Kyôsuke Machida (Outlaw: Gangster VIP) in the role of the forest ranger. Their performances play well off of each other and they have strong onscreen chemistry. That said, the rest of the performances are best described as serviceable.

Despite its short running time of just under 40 minutes, Love Letter has a considerable amount of depth. Nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the use of flashbacks. Love Letter is beautifully photographed, the bulk of its narrative takes place in snow covered landscapes. Another one of its strengths is its snow-covered landscapes, which reinforce the theme of isolation. Ultimately, Love Letter is a bittersweet melodrama where tragedy leads to new beginnings.

Underworld Beauty gets an excellent release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/presentation, a bonus short film, and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer