The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker

This gentle Japanese film starts out as a nice guy, and nobody really likes a nice guy; they never get the girls.  A meandering story of love, dogs and Bob Dylan is all very comfortable and cute but had me tuning out. Then it flips. One character tells another “You’ve come into a story which is not your own,” and so it would seem if you had left the room to make tea at this point.

The sun sets on the twee opening and blood is drawn as pet mutilators are pursued through the sliding doors of alternate realities. It’s a dark, winding narrative with shocking scenes coming out of the blue, like being told horrible, unexpected truths in a glacial monotone. Reminiscent of Chungking Express in its two tone set up, and like that masterpiece it has a significant song as motif. This time Blowing in the Wind, ‘the voice of God’ echoing through its surreal scenes. [Alan Bett]