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Grimmfest 2017: Tag Review: Dir. Sion Sono

Tag Review: A girl’s life cascades into chaos as everyone around her suffers a gruesome fate in Sion Sono’s latest film venture.

Tag review by Luke Ryan Baldock.

Tag Review

When entering a Sion Sono film, it is best to expect the unexpected. He’s created 4 hour masterpieces, grotesque exploitation films, and even a hip-hop musical. He’s one of the most fascinating directors around whose films should constantly cause excitement. Having not had a year off since 1997 (though 2003’s effort was a short), and peaking in 2015 with 4 feature films and a TV movie, his prolificity may bring into question the quality of his products, it’s surprising just how many hits Sono can come out with. Tag certainly contains a number of his trademarks, most notably having absolutely no idea what is going to happen, and it certainly feels like a quicker produced film. Fortunately, at a brisk 85 minutes it needn’t need that extra polish.

Tag is a film where you should know as little as possible. The trailer exploits the most unexpected moments of violence in order to create illusions of an insane, gore filled, thriller, and completely lies about the plot, suggesting it is an all female take on Battle Royale – it most certainly is not. The opening is one of the most unforgettable moments you can imagine. Starting with ominous musical tones and elevated shots over dense collections of trees, there is definitely a The Shining feel to it all. You can also never be easy around buses filled with Japanese school kids after the likes of Battle Royale, so with an all girls school laughing and joking away, it is obvious something is going to happen. That something is mind blowingly shocking, and won’t be ruined here. But it does leave protagonist Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) alone and scared.

Mitsuko eventually makes it back to her school where everything seems terrifyingly normal. Mitsuko begins to question whether what she experienced is real, and ditches class with friends Aki (Yuki Sakurai), Taeko (Aki Hiraoka), and Sur (Ami Tomite). Here the film, like Mistuko herself, seemingly forgets about its horrific beginning and settles into a coming of age tale between three friends. The chemistry between the three is sweet and contagious, but as Sur begins to discuss parallel universes the film takes a different path. Unexpected events occur (usually very violent and graphic), characters and locations change without warning, and the confusion extends into the film’s final scenes.

With the lack of a male presence obvious from the outset, the film’s themes and message is a bizarre and confrontational look at feminism. The film itself plays with its female characters, having the wind blow their skirts up, forcing them into marriage, and taking a perverse delight in the violence against them. The violence is cartoonish in many respects, and if too far in places, the film’s resolution lays out its purpose and the real target of its criticism. You know the film is having a blast when it clearly gives little care as to whether you can spot the CG and prosthetics or not.

Like many Sion Sono films, Tag is smarter than it gives itself credit for, but at the same time you can’t blame anybody for failing to see beyond the exploitation, violence, and rushed production. Certainly falling more into his Suicide Club style than his more esteemed pieces, Tag leaves an unforgettable imprint of visuals on the mind while simultaneously having you consider the ideas and their presentation. Unnervingly funny, depressing, exciting, and satisfyingly crazy, Tag will affect you on some level even if it leaves you asking ‘What the hell’?

Tag review by Luke Ryan Baldock, October 2017.

Tag is currently playing as part of the Grimmfest programme. 

Luke likes many things, films and penguins being among them. He's loved films since the age of 9, when STARGATE and BATMAN FOREVER changed the landscape of modern cinema as we know it. His love of film extends to all aspects of his life, with trips abroad being planned around film locations and only buying products featured in Will Smith movies. His favourite films include SEVEN SAMURAI, PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, IN BRUGES, LONE STAR, GODZILLA, and a thousand others.

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