is a 1999 Japanese film directed by

Katsuhito Ishii is a Japanese film director best known for directing '' The Taste of Tea'' (2004), '' Funky Forest'' (2005), and ''Smuggler'' (2011). Career After graduating from Musashino Art University, Ishii got a job at Tohokushinsha Film and began dir ...

and starring

Tadanobu Asano , better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor. He is known for his roles as Dragon Eye Morrison in '' Electric Dragon 80.000 V'', Kakihara in '' Ichi the Killer'', Mamoru Arita in '' Bright Future'', Hattori Genosuke in ''Zatoichi'', Ke ...

. It is based on a manga of the same name by Minetaro Mochizuki which was originally serialized in ''

Mister Magazine ''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...

'' circa 1993 under the title "Daisharin" (Big Wheel). The current title was adopted when the comic was published as its own book.

Plot

Kuroo Samehada (Tadanobu Asano), a yakuza soldier, is on the run for his life after stealing from his boss Tanuki Fukuda (Ittoku Kishibe). During a chase through a forest, Tanuki's car is struck by a SUV. Enter Toshiko Momojiri (Shie Kohinata), who is also on the run. She is trying to escape her twisted uncle Michio Sonezaki (Yohachi Shimida), who manages the hotel where she works and who has developed a controlling sexual obsession with her. During the crash Toshiko is knocked unconscious, and Samehada is able to escape with Toshiko in tow. The couple are then chased across Japan by a large cast of gun crazy, deadpan gang members dressed in over-the-top, high-end fashion. They are also being followed by Yamada, an amateur hit man, who was hired by Michio to bring Toshiko back.

Cast

as Kuroo Samehada *

Shie Kohinata is a Japanese actress, ''tarento'', and singer. She is from Tokyo. She has one younger brother. She was formerly represented by Space Craft. Biography At the age of fifteen she met her father's acquaintance production president, and debuted as ...

as Toshiko Momojiri *

Ittoku Kishibe , born , is a Japanese actor and musician. Career He originally entered show business as the bassist for the Japanese rock bands, The Tigers and Pyg, but later switched to acting. The veteran of over 115 films, he won the Best Actor Japanese Ac ...

as Tanuki Fukuda * Susumu Terajima as Sawada *

Kimie Shingyoji is an actress and model in Japan. She has appeared in films ''Eureka'', ''Station To Heaven'', ''Natsumeke No Shokutaku'', and ''Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl''. In the 1980s she married Hiroshi Oguchi, a Tokyo scene celebrity, and drum ...

as Mitsuko Fukuda * Youhachi Shimada as Michio Sonezaki * Tatsuya Gashuin as Yamada *

Shingo Tsurumi is a Japanese actor. Career Shingo Tsurumi has appeared in the films such as Katsuhito Ishii's '' Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl'', Hideo Nakata's '' L: Change the World'', and Tak Sakaguchi's ''Yakuza Weapon''. Filmography Films * ''Tonda ...

as Mitsuru Fukuda

The Yakuza hitmen

* Daigaku Sekine as Sakaguchi * Koh Takasugi as Sorimachi * Shingoro Yamada as Taniguchi * Hitoshi Kiyokawa as Maruo * Yoji Tanaka as Asahina *

Keisuke Horibe Keisuke (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese general *, Japanese mixed martial artist *, Japanese footballer * ...

as Inuzuka *

Yoshiyuki Morishita is a Japanese actor. He has appeared in more than eighty films since 1996. Selected filmography Film Television References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morishita, Yoshiyuki 1962 births Living people People from Tokyo Japanese ...

as Hidari *

Kanji Tsuda is a Japanese actor. Career Tsuda appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's '' Tokyo Sonata''. He co-starred in Sion Sono's ''Guilty of Romance'' with Megumi Kagurazaka. Filmography Film * '' Sonatine'' (1993) * ''119'' (1994) * '' Kids Return'' (1996) ...

as Fukazume

Release

The film was shown at the 1998

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

Bibliography

References

External links

* 1998 films Live-action films based on manga Japanese action films Yakuza films Films directed by Katsuhito Ishii 1990s action films Japanese crime comedy films 1990s Japanese films {{1990s-Japan-film-stub