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
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Masayuki Suô
Masahiro Motoki, Honami Suzuki, Ken Ohsawa, Hikomaro, Hiromasa Taguchi, Kazuo Chikada
Japan
1989
In Japanese with English subtitles
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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?
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.