A Man's Flower Road

Another Sono film that could be classified as semi-professional. If you're extremely generous you could draw some parallels with Tsukamoto's Tetsuo, but the impact of the two films couldn't be further apart. I found A Man's Flower Road to be quite grating and irritating, a real test of patience that barely hints at the genius hidden inside its creator.

The film follows a young man as he struggles to cross over into adulthood. He lives in a small house on the outskirts of the city and he still attends college. He fears the life that lies ahead of him and wants to enjoy his freedom while he still can. He roams the streets and makes a ruckus wherever he goes. Whether it's running around naked or making a fuss at a nearby swimming pool party.

There's a lot of raw energy here, it's just a shame that Sono doesn't know how to channel it yet. The performances are a little too energetic, the camera work is a blur and the message gets lost in the process. I still appreciated the dedication and youthful enthusiasm that gushed from every single frame, but it wasn't enough to make this a good film.