Play It Cool: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1970
Director: Yasuzô Masumura
Writers: Yoshihiro Ishimatsu, Yasuzô Masumura, Masayuki Tôyama
Cast: Mari Atsumi, Yûsuke Kawazu, Akemi Negishi, Kô Nishimura, Ryôichi Tamagawa, Sanae Nakahara, Tomo'o Nagai, Reiko Kasahara, Tomoko Mayama, Sei Hiraizumi

Release Date: March 3rd, 2025 (UK), March 4th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 27 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: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Yumi (Mari Atsumi) is a pretty fashion student who shares a cramped home with her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi, The Saga of Anatahan) and good-for-nothing stepfather Ryoichi. Tomi works at a local hostess bar and hopes for a better fate for Yumi. When Ryoichi violently forces himself upon her blossoming daughter, Tomi is not afraid to take action to protect her, an act which lands her in jail. Left to fend for herself, Yumi is taken in by her mother's former place of employment, where she finds herself fighting off the unwanted attentions of the men who swarm around her. Then one day, a rescue by handsome former lawyer Nozawa (Yusuke Kawazu, Cruel Story of Youth) from a vicious gangster seems to offer an escape into an altogether glitzier world, albeit one that turns out fraught with similar dangers." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The high definition master was provided by Kadokawa."

Play It Cool comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.6 GB

Feature: 26.6 GB

Though the source looks clean, free of debris, it looks dated. Colors look very good, image clarity is strong, black levels look grayish, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Though limited range-wise, dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (7 images - posters/stills), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts titled Too Cool for School, he discusses Play it Cool and the career of writer-director Yasuzō Masumura (46 minutes 7 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp and professor and Japanese literature specialist Anne McKnight, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Yasuzō Masumura’s Femme Vitale written by Earl Jackson, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Yasuzô Masumura is one of the most gifted and diverse filmmakers that Japan has ever produced. He worked in just about every genre imaginable and along the way he made films that defied all genre conventions. His notable films include, Red Angel, Manji, Giants and Toys, Afraid to Die and Vixen. With his masterpiece Blind Beast, a film that flawlessly sums up all that’s great about Yasuzô Masumura as a filmmaker.

A young woman who was born to a teenage mother who wanted a better life for her daughter becomes an escort.

Though Play It Cool has elements that are associated with Pinku eiga, it is not the first film by Yasuzô Masumura to deal with sexuality in such a direct way. Earlier examples of this type of film from Yasuzô Masumura are Manji, Irezumi, and Blind Beast. That said, despite there being flesh on display, Play It Cool is restrained when compared to other similarly themed Japanese films from this era.

No matter what genre Yasuzô Masumura worked in, most of his films relied on melodrama. And when it comes to crafting arresting moments of melodrama, few filmmakers are on par with Yasuzô Masumura. Though there are many such moments, none are more potent than a scene where the protagonist's stepfather rapes her, and when her mother finds out, she kills him.

The protagonist Yumi goes from a naive young woman to someone who quickly learns how to manipulate others for personal gain. She follows in her mother's footsteps, despite going against her wishes. She becomes attached to a man she works with, despite being focused on being an escort. Because of this relationship and her success, she becomes the target of the other women she works with.

All around, the cast is great in their roles, especially Mari Atsumi (Bodyguard Kiba), who portrays Yumi. She delivers an utterly convincing performance that perfectly captures Yumi’s transformation. Play It Cool was the first of two films she made with Yasuzô Masumura, the other being The Hot Little Girl. The other performance of note is Akemi Negishi (Lady Snowblood), who portrays Yumi’s mother. Though her character has limited screen time, her presence looms large.

Through all of Yumi’s ups and downs, the one constant in her life is a bond with her mother. Once again, Yasuzô Masumura’s direction is superlative; he crafts a well-executed narrative that does a phenomenal job holding your attention. Ultimately, Play It Cool is a bittersweet melodrama of a broken soul jaded by her experiences.

Play It Cool gets a first-rate release from Arrow Video that comes with a serviceable audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer