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SYNESTHESIA (ADVANCE REVIEW) |
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Sunday, 25 February 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | ADV FILMS | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | ENGLISH DD 2.0 AND JAPANESE DD 4.0 | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 120 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | TV MA | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/27/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 02/26/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | SCOTT CAMPBELL |
Synesthesia is a film about a handful of people living in Japan who find themselves tied together through a series of events and murders all related to the clinical condition of the title. Synesthesia is an actual clinical condition that is experienced by only 1 in every 25,000 people on earth. This rare abnormality of the brain causes the individual to touch, see, smell, hear, and taste in peculiar ways that people without the condition do not. For instance, they may see the color red and feel that it is as prickles along their skin. They may see the number 3 and feel it as the perception of the color yellow. They may see a certain shape and hear the sound of music. When we feel rain, we feel “cold, wet”, whereas they may feel “starfish, rectangle.” It’s a very strange concept, and because it is so difficult to explain, many people with the condition feel closed off from other people and quite alone in the world.
The film revolves around a man with synesthesia. He begins to come in contact with the strange games and results of a murderer. The murders take place and the same red symbol is painted at every murder scene. The symbol means nothing to the common eye, but to someone with synesthesia it seems to mean a lot. We start to question if the murderer also has synesthesia – perhaps they are reaching out for help or want to contact another person with the same condition. Life becomes increasingly difficult and outside of the norm for the main character, as well as for the people who are close to him. Soon it seems that he is being stalked and spied upon, his safety and privacy disappearing. What is the murderer’s plan and what does he or they want from the main character – a man he doesn’t know? Each step along the way gets us a bit closer, and the final truth is both immensely sad as well as surprising.
The film plays reasonably well and grasps the viewer from the start. It revolves around a human condition that most us likely have no previous notion of, so it’s very interesting to learn about it through the experiences of the characters in the movie. As interesting and nail biting as it can be at times, it still has a few flaws. Even after it’s done, you’ll still be left with a bunch of questions and some inconsistencies that just don’t pan out by the end. The film perhaps tries to be too intelligent for its own good and ends up “shrugging its shoulders” so to say, because it can’t give all the answers to the questions it raised throughout. Despite the loose threads left untied by the end, it’s still a very good watch. It has a chilly artistic quality to it, and the landscapes and city streets of Japan are well showcased throughout.
It should be noted that the film is a bit violent at times, but hardly gory. It simply deals with a few difficult subjects like suicide and self-mutilation – both of which won’t agree with everyone.
EXTRAS:
Clinical synesthesia information (text), ADV Films previews, DVD credits, “making of” feature, sneak preview party, opening night, interview with Toru Matsuura (director) and Shinji Takeda, Japanese theatrical trailer, and Japanese TV spots.
IN SUMMARY:
Synesthesia is an interesting film with some fascinating subject matter, especially in relation to the condition and how these people view the world. It has a compelling plot with plenty of mystery, even if it doesn’t deliver all the reasons or answers within the running time. It’s a decent film that is certainly worth a watch.
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