This is a deadpan slice of life baseball gangster comedy — a selection of words that haven't really been lumped together before — and it's... uhhh. Hmmm. How do I put this? Boiling Point, for the majority of its runtime, is a dry black comedy about loser baseball player Masaki angering and subsequently getting fucked over by the yakuza, resulting in him and some of his teammates taking matters into their own hands. Along the way they come into contact with Uehara, a sadomasochist who also wants to do some damage to the yakuza. Hijinks ensue. But then the end hits and you go "wait what the fuck just happened?", and you're left thinking that there's somehow more going on beneath the surface of this crime farce. That's the Kitano effect, baby! I don't even really think there is much going on here outside of it clearly all being a daydream Masaki's having while he shits his brains out, and I doubt Kitano intended for anything beyond what you clearly see, but it's fun to come away thinking that maybe there's more to this little life he's portrayed here. Masaki is such a bum that even in his... I guess dreams(?), he can't do anything right and just kills himself like a boss. Definitely a dry run for Sonatine, but has enough going on that I can appreciate it on its own merit while recognising it as a clear stepping stone for Kitano as a filmmaker.
This is a deadpan slice of life baseball gangster comedy — a selection of words that haven't really been lumped together before — and it's... uhhh. Hmmm. How do I put this? Boiling Point, for the majority of its runtime, is a dry black comedy about loser baseball player Masaki angering and subsequently getting fucked over by the yakuza, resulting in him and some of his teammates taking matters into their own hands. Along the way they come into contact with Uehara, a sadomasochist who also wants to do some damage to the yakuza. Hijinks ensue. But then the end hits and you go "wait what the fuck just happened?", and you're left thinking that there's somehow more going on beneath the surface of this crime farce. That's the Kitano effect, baby! I don't even really think there is much going on here outside of it clearly all being a daydream Masaki's having while he shits his brains out, and I doubt Kitano intended for anything beyond what you clearly see, but it's fun to come away thinking that maybe there's more to this little life he's portrayed here. Masaki is such a bum that even in his... I guess dreams(?), he can't do anything right and just kills himself like a boss. Definitely a dry run for Sonatine, but has enough going on that I can appreciate it on its own merit while recognising it as a clear stepping stone for Kitano as a filmmaker.
