DVD Review: Takashi Miike's 'Audition'

Without giving away too much, Ryo Ishibashi's character, Shigeharu Aoyama, finds himself urged to date after being a widower for seven years. His film producer friend played by Jun Kunimura comes up with the idea of setting up an "audition" to create a pool of young ladies for Aoyoma to choose from. Aoyama quickly becomes fixated on one beauty, Asami played by Eihi Shiina, who ends up being a lot more than he bargained for.

As Aoyoma finds out more about the object of his desire, he descends into a dreamlike world where he experiences visits from his dead wife and other events that may or may not actually happen. Some of these experiences are truly horrific, resulting in a film that even freaked Rob Zombie out among other notables.

Miike has said that the film isn't about a particular social construct but it's difficult not to think about the various stories of struggle between Men and Women: objectification, manipulation, predation, etc. Thankfully none of these Big Issues obscure a suspense and horror filled story that appeals to anyone interested in a great movie.