Wasabi
By
Wade Major
Box Office Reviews
There has always
been a dash of Asian chic in French action auteur Luc Besson’s highly
stylized visions, though only recently has he openly embraced Asian
talent, settings and themes. This has yet to manifest itself in his
work as a director, but as a producer/writer it has become an increasingly
prevalent fixation, as seen in such efforts as "Yamakasi" and "The
Transporter," directed
by longtime Jet Li collaborator Corey Yuen. Neither of these films,
however, quite find the same endearingly offbeat balance as does "Wasabi," arguably
the best script that Besson has written in years and a worthy directing
follow-up for "Taxi 2" director Gerard Krawczyk (who has
since gone on to direct "Taxi 3"). Comparisons
to Besson’s own "The Professional" (aka "Leon: The
Professional") are inevitable as audiences are, once again,
treated to a story featuring Jean Reno as the soft-hearted but
deadly
guardian of a young girl. Any further comparisons, however, are
odious. This time out Reno is on the right side of the law (barely),
a slug-happy Parisian cop named Hubert who always gets his man,
even if it means leaving a sloppy trail of broken noses and bloodied
bodies in his wake. If he seems less than gentle, it’s because
his
heart remains in Tokyo where, as an employee of the French embassy
some 19 years earlier, the love of his life, Miko, mysteriously
vanished without so much as a goodbye.
That’s when he
gets the phone call–Miko has died and made him her executor and
heir. Grief-stricken, Hubert returns to Japan to settle affairs,
only to discover that Miko has also given him charge of a daughter
named Yumi (Ryoko Hirosue). Her daughter. His daughter. Not withstanding
the initial shock of unexpected parenthood, the charge doesn’t seem
that difficult–to simply watch over the rambunctious 19-year-old
pop culture junkie for just two days until her 20th birthday (legal
adulthood in Japan). But traces of cyanide on Miko’s body, a forged
medical report, a $200 million inheritance and a platoon of standard-issue
Asian baddies (black suits, sunglasses and machine-guns) on their
tail seem to suggest that things aren’t quite kosher sushi, and
that the sensitive side of Hubert may have to take a back seat yet
again.
As always, Reno
is impeccable in every facet of the role, made even stronger here
by the contributions of two stellar supporting players–the delightful
Ryoko Hirosue as Yumi and "Taxi 2"’s hilarious Michel
Muller as Momo, Hubert’s former Tokyo sidekick with whom he is reunited
for this new set of adventures. But "Wasabi" is more than
simply a successful assemblage of talent–it’s an organic whole
in which story, concept and artistry all work in blissful, eccentric
harmony. It’s refreshingly and unapologetically peculiar–Besson
and Krawczyk aren’t afraid to veer from broad slapstick to high-octane
action to melodrama and back again. Whatever emotional signature
suits the film at any given time is boldly applied, even if the
swings in tone violate what audiences might normally expect or accept.
In the end, this makes "Wasabi" all but impossible to
categorize, but also nearly impossible to dislike. It’s touching,
exhilarating and endlessly fascinating.
Starring
Jean Reno, Michel Muller, Ryoko Hirosue, Carole Bouquet and
Yoshi
Oida. Directed by Gérard Krawczyck. Written and produced
by Luc Besson. A TriStar release. Comedy/Action/Drama. French-language;
subtitled. Rated R for some violence. Running time: 94 min. |