THE ARK IN THE MIRAGE (Shinkirô no fune) (2015) - ♦♦

Directed by - Yasutomo Chikuma

Written by - Yasutomo Chikuma

Starring - Tomonitsu Adachi, Yota Kawase

"A young man, involved with a gang of hoodlum exploiting vulnerable elderly men to steal their retirement money, experiences social disenchantment, alienation and confusion mostly due to a lack of dreams and fulfillment of ambition. 

There are many grey areas in the story of THE ARK IN THE MIRAGE. Director YASUTOMO CHIKUMA uses a language that is more suited to visual arts experimentation, and as such seeks a more deductive engagement from the audience. 

The stark mixture of styles is, however, slightly confusing, mostly because the film seems to be driven by no particular feeling. Even the more etheral allegories, defined by a black and white photography, seem too constructed even in their timing. 

Therefore, it feels unfocused and loose, in the end unable to find contextualization within a compelling examination of the plot, even coming across as taking itself far too seriously for its own good."

Drama, Japan