Ballerina

[Drunk Monk]

Ballerina

I rather enjoyed that. It’s a revenge tale. It’s never quite clear what’s up with the protagonist - it’s revealed towards the end that she worked for a ‘firm’ and was the best agent there but that’s it. Her friend is that ballerina. 

After an opening character-establishing fight, it slows down with set up, almost bogs down, but then it slips into hyperdrive. At least make it until about the halfway mark where things get perverse and the action ramps up again. 

The fights are exciting - mostly one strike one takes but a few extended scenes and again, that fancy camerawork. It’s frantic stuff but ultimately rewarding. Each fight (and there are only 3 major fights) was fun - I was enthralled by their overall composition and impressed by their savagery.

This film had a good cinematographic style that’s almost addictive - a range of shots from wide angles in odd architecture to bird’s eye views to dynamic close ups. It was very visual. 

There’s some really good moments in this, as well as some nods to Miike’s masterpiece, Ichi the Killer.

It’s only an hour and a half - a simple story that’s brilliantly told.

D00M recommended.