Watches
March 24, 2004
Maybe Rainy Dog isn't the most notable Miike film out there, but looking at his evolution as director it does hold an important place in his oeuvre. Rainy Dog is one of the first Miike films where the drama takes up a sizeable part of the film. This is Miike aiming to transcend his genre roots, and doing a pretty decent job at it too.
A Yakuza henchman betrays his boss and has no other option than to flee the country. He travels to Taiwan, where he hopes to start a new life for himself, forever saying goodbye to the world of crime. For a while things go well, until an old girlfriend comes to visit him. His life changes completely when she brings along his estranged son.
Rainy Dog certainly isn't Miike's most accomplished film. The film looks a bit drab and there are some pacing issues, but Miike gets the core right. Though the characters aren't necessarily all that likeable, they do grow on you and once the ending's there, it's all too obvious they're not just empty shells. In part thanks to Aikawa's solid performance. A nice mix of crime and drama.