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Fancy Dance film image; three people grabbing each other in a physical fight

Fancy Dance

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Shall we meditate? Masayuki Suô’s second film as director (his first was a porno remake of Tokyo Story, sadly not in this series), Fancy Dance is a wild comedy about a punk rock star (Masahiro Motoki, Departures) who agrees to become a Buddhist monk for a year in order to inherit his family’s lucrative temple. With his head fully shaved he leaves behind his girlfriend and other worldly desires for an ascetic lifestyle in the countryside. However, temple life is not quite as spiritual as he was led to believe…

The mix of belly laughs, slapstick, sex jokes and satire pushes towards a predictably serene, spiritual conclusion.

Trevor Johnston, Time Out

 

Media Partner

Director

Masayuki Suô

Cast

Masahiro Motoki, Honami Suzuki, Ken Ohsawa, Hikomaro, Hiromasa Taguchi, Kazuo Chikada

Credits
Country of Origin

Japan

Year

1989

Language

In Japanese with English subtitles

19+
101 min

Book Tickets

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Credits

Screenwriter

Masayuki Suô

Cinematography

Yûichi Nagata

Editor

Jun’ichi Kikuchi

Original Music

Yoshikazu Suo

Also in This Series

Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Suô excels in the art of comedy, putting out film after film filled with warmth and wit.

If you’ve never experienced a Suô film before, this is your chance. Explore three of Suô’s biggest and best, along with a special VIFF Live event you won’t want to miss.

Shall We Dance?

Dir. Masayuki Suô
137 min

Masayuki Suô's delightful and charming 1996 film was a box office smash and won 14 Japanese Academy Awards including Best Film. It's the story of a married salaryman who falls in love with... dance.

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