A bored writer on a resort holiday develops a particular curiosity about an older gentleman and his female companion. Compelled to investigate, the writer finds more questions than answers, and begins to get drawn into increasing uncertainty. As the plot thickens, the movie reflects the writer character's confusion, leaving just as much unanswered for the viewer. The movie has a somewhat film noir atmosphere and is artsy because it sketches things out but doesn't complete the picture, to a somewhat unsatisfying effect. I mainly watched this for Takeshi Kitano and although he delivered an appropriate performance, I think he was limited by his role. He plays a very subdued and subtle character and so you only see a narrow view of his acting range compared to his other movies. The tone of the film imposed similar limitations on the other characters, with occasional exceptions. It's not a bad movie but the pacing is a bit slow, the plot is scattered, and character development is limited to the point of being frustrating.
Review of While the Women Are Sleeping
