(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An exploitation sex drama just this side of pinku-eiga with yakuza elements.”
To put it succinctly, there’s a great deal going on within Play It Cool … but the least of it has to do with either its pinku-eiga or yakuza elements.
In fact, the academic in me might suggest that the film offers up a reasonably accessible primer in how to tell a purely dramatic story compliments of writer/director Yasuzô Masumura (1924-1986). The storyteller’s Wikipedia.org page suggests that he may’ve been one of the more talented directors to emerge in post-war Japan, but there’s sadly very little information of real substance about his catalogue of output, much less a summation of what truly makes him memorable in the field of cinema or television. Essentially, the site gives some basic biographical data and that’s all; so those looking for a greater analysis might have to look elsewhere. Even what little is available on the man on IMDB.com is scant, a surprise given the fact that he worked so vigorously across a few decades in the Japanese film industry at a time wherein, culturally, there was a significant shift away from conformity and a growing focus on individuality.
Certainly, a casual glance at Play It Cool suggests an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality: our heroine – the young and impressionable Yumi (played by the stunning Mari Atsumi) – both clings to the traditional construct of “family first” while simultaneously coming to terms with the harsh reality that she needs to find her own place in the big, big world outside, even when that means sticking to the somewhat ramshackle and claustrophobic dwelling that serves as a home. Over the course of a few short days and owed to no fault on her part, the young woman finds herself forced to make ends meet when her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi) is sentenced to prison for killing the lover who raped her daughter in a night of uncontrolled passion. Indeed, it was an odd turn of events given the fact that Tomi nearly had to rape the man herself only the night before when he refused her affections, choosing a good night’s sleep over her very own aggressive philandering.
The loss of a head of household leaves Yumi with no option but to turn to the life of a Japanese hostess in the local seedy nightclub marketplace. Immediately, her wholesome good looks catch the attention of Nozawa (Yûsuke Kawazu), who turned to a life of soft crime after he lost his law license in taking the fall for a prominent client. Realizing her beauty would be better appreciated – and far more profitable – in the district catering to wealthy elites, he recruits her for his own nightspot, eventually allowing her to call her own shots once she’s a proven attraction. Of course, even he succumbs to her charms even though he’s not above farming her out as a lucrative mistress when the chance arrives to please the millionaire Kada (Kô Nishimura), a decision that ultimately is leads to his undoing in the final reel. As fate would have it, Yumi’s sexual prowess send Kada to an early grave, putting her first in line to inherit the man’s fortune: such financial independence means that she has no further use for Nozawa, questioning whether she truly loved him as she said in the first place.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“An exploitation sex drama just this side of pinku-eiga with yakuza elements.”
To put it succinctly, there’s a great deal going on within Play It Cool … but the least of it has to do with either its pinku-eiga or yakuza elements.
In fact, the academic in me might suggest that the film offers up a reasonably accessible primer in how to tell a purely dramatic story compliments of writer/director Yasuzô Masumura (1924-1986). The storyteller’s Wikipedia.org page suggests that he may’ve been one of the more talented directors to emerge in post-war Japan, but there’s sadly very little information of real substance about his catalogue of output, much less a summation of what truly makes him memorable in the field of cinema or television. Essentially, the site gives some basic biographical data and that’s all; so those looking for a greater analysis might have to look elsewhere. Even what little is available on the man on IMDB.com is scant, a surprise given the fact that he worked so vigorously across a few decades in the Japanese film industry at a time wherein, culturally, there was a significant shift away from conformity and a growing focus on individuality.
Certainly, a casual glance at Play It Cool suggests an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality: our heroine – the young and impressionable Yumi (played by the stunning Mari Atsumi) – both clings to the traditional construct of “family first” while simultaneously coming to terms with the harsh reality that she needs to find her own place in the big, big world outside, even when that means sticking to the somewhat ramshackle and claustrophobic dwelling that serves as a home. Over the course of a few short days and owed to no fault on her part, the young woman finds herself forced to make ends meet when her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi) is sentenced to prison for killing the lover who raped her daughter in a night of uncontrolled passion. Indeed, it was an odd turn of events given the fact that Tomi nearly had to rape the man herself only the night before when he refused her affections, choosing a good night’s sleep over her very own aggressive philandering.
The loss of a head of household leaves Yumi with no option but to turn to the life of a Japanese hostess in the local seedy nightclub marketplace. Immediately, her wholesome good looks catch the attention of Nozawa (Yûsuke Kawazu), who turned to a life of soft crime after he lost his law license in taking the fall for a prominent client. Realizing her beauty would be better appreciated – and far more profitable – in the district catering to wealthy elites, he recruits her for his own nightspot, eventually allowing her to call her own shots once she’s a proven attraction. Of course, even he succumbs to her charms even though he’s not above farming her out as a lucrative mistress when the chance arrives to please the millionaire Kada (Kô Nishimura), a decision that ultimately is leads to his undoing in the final reel. As fate would have it, Yumi’s sexual prowess send Kada to an early grave, putting her first in line to inherit the man’s fortune: such financial independence means that she has no further use for Nozawa, questioning whether she truly loved him as she said in the first place.
So … as I said above, there really is very little room for the yakuza throughout Play It Cool. What criminal institutions there are get referenced more as background (some loose subtext) than they do prominently, so much so that it’s almost inaccurate to even imply there are any gangs or families calling the shots in any of it. While I’ll concede that Masumura’s film does occasionally flirt with pinku ingredients (nudity and sex), it does so in a relentlessly tame style. Perhaps this being 1970 and whatnot, maybe the storyteller wasn’t all that interested in going – ahem – hard core. This unique subgenre had only started to take hold (from what I understand) in the mid-1960’s, and the true practitioners of such pictures – the pioneers, if you will – began in the 1970’s and lasted into the 1980’s. Thematically, Cool does feel like an effort chronologically in between – it tastefully hints at things to come and manages to keep its sexcapades invested with narrative purpose as opposed to true exploitation – and audiences shouldn’t expect floor-to-ceiling titillation because there’s none in here.
What there is, however, is a great degree of bona fide melodramatic storytelling presented with conceptual flair, so much so that – yes – it’s a mostly unheard-of flick deserving of rediscovery.
As a mother/daughter story, Cool presents two sides of the same female coin: Tomi has served a life in the trenches of the Sexual Revolution to the point wherein she’s become a bit of a relic, the kind I suspect most gentlemen’s clubs would rather be free of. It’s strongly suggested, in fact, that the only reason there’s still a place for the woman is because a lifelong friend and fellow sex worker feels an obligation out of friendship to keep her around. The younger prostitutes turn up their noses at the old lady, and they’re constantly suggesting Tomi is well past her prime. Arriving back home one night only to learn that her deadbeat boyfriend has tired of her and forced himself upon her daughter is an understandable catalyst for why the woman finally cracks, taking the law – and a butcher’s knife – into her own hands.
Somehow, Tomi remains committed to preserving Japanese tradition: in spite of her chosen profession, she stays true to raising a daughter virtuous enough to present to the proper suitor, one who’ll gladly take Yumi for all of his own and give her the life that Tomi somehow missed out on with her own choices. Such positive nurturing – to a good degree – is exhibited by Yumi even though she’s of an age wherein rebelling against one’s parent is the norm: even when prompted by her girlfriends to go out and chase boys, she resists, wanting little more than to get back home, practice her sewing skills, have a meal, and get a good night’s rest. She’s the dutiful daughter to a fault … and that’s why her eventually blossoming into adulthood is still a joy to watch, especially because it’s more than a bit subversive.
Like dear old mom, Yumi stays true to her upbringing.
What there is, however, is a great degree of bona fide melodramatic storytelling presented with conceptual flair, so much so that – yes – it’s a mostly unheard-of flick deserving of rediscovery.
As a mother/daughter story, Cool presents two sides of the same female coin: Tomi has served a life in the trenches of the Sexual Revolution to the point wherein she’s become a bit of a relic, the kind I suspect most gentlemen’s clubs would rather be free of. It’s strongly suggested, in fact, that the only reason there’s still a place for the woman is because a lifelong friend and fellow sex worker feels an obligation out of friendship to keep her around. The younger prostitutes turn up their noses at the old lady, and they’re constantly suggesting Tomi is well past her prime. Arriving back home one night only to learn that her deadbeat boyfriend has tired of her and forced himself upon her daughter is an understandable catalyst for why the woman finally cracks, taking the law – and a butcher’s knife – into her own hands.
Somehow, Tomi remains committed to preserving Japanese tradition: in spite of her chosen profession, she stays true to raising a daughter virtuous enough to present to the proper suitor, one who’ll gladly take Yumi for all of his own and give her the life that Tomi somehow missed out on with her own choices. Such positive nurturing – to a good degree – is exhibited by Yumi even though she’s of an age wherein rebelling against one’s parent is the norm: even when prompted by her girlfriends to go out and chase boys, she resists, wanting little more than to get back home, practice her sewing skills, have a meal, and get a good night’s rest. She’s the dutiful daughter to a fault … and that’s why her eventually blossoming into adulthood is still a joy to watch, especially because it’s more than a bit subversive.
Like dear old mom, Yumi stays true to her upbringing.
Oh, she’s forced to compromise all of the values of the Nuclear Family – sex workers must inevitably have relations, you know – but she retains a degree of innocence about it all, often times putting her at odds with her fellow courtesans. Like her mother was secretly loathed, so, too, is Yumi; but that’s because she’s vastly better at manipulating the men around her to abide by her terms instead of succumbing to the usual grind of the job. While perfectly ready, willing, and able to bed them, she first demands to be bested at poker … the very game used against her in the deflowering by her surrogate stepfather in the film’s opening. Before taking the men between the sheets, Yumi takes all their money, most times collecting five times the usual fee for conjugations, proving that – if nothing else – she’s no dummy. As one can imagine, this makes her competition green with envy as they’re unable to match wits with the young woman.
Masumura constructs this story with a great degree of subtlety. He makes good use of framing, lighting, set-up, and foreshadowing to set up and deliver on the melodrama’s highs and lows, never quite approaching the sheer gutter of what real life within the sex industry resembles. His cast of characters are all broken in some way, and yet each retains something that gives them a singular joy worn more like an anchor than a badge of honor. In his eyes, Yumi is an earlier, dingier incarnation of Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman (1990) – less a lot of the feel-good schtick, the pop soundtrack, Julia Roberts’ pearly whites, and the whole sugary veneer – but one wherein our leading lady wears a poker face unlike any of her contemporaries. As we learn in the last reel, she’ll stop at nothing to stay true to her values even if that means killing an unborn baby in the womb to send a parting message to the only man she ever truly loved … even if she really did.
Play It Cool (1970) was produced by Daiei Studios. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There’s a good commentary track from Jasper Sharp and Anne McKnight that rarely sticks to a single thread but is informative enough to give a thumbs up. There’s also a solid visual essay that explores some of Masumura’s career as well as offers up a few tidbits about the feature directly.
Recommended.
Honestly, Play It Cool initially didn’t appear like a film I’d spend much time critiquing. The subject matter was interesting, and the performances were solid; but overall, my first viewing was a touch underwhelming. However, something about it stuck with me – the way one character seemed to so lovingly keep thumbing her nose at convention – and I gave it a second viewing. Then I gave it’s commentary track a whirl. I even watched its conclusion a third time because I thought I’d missed something. To my surprise, I found a great deal more to like than dislike – more to think about than ignore – so much so that I’d encourage folks to similarly watch it and let it digest before judging it too harshly on superficial merits. There’s more to digest here than is apparent at first blush, so why not be swept away by the lovely Yumi – my God, those eyes are heavenly – and her feminine wiles into a world wherein she calls the shots in ways too numerous to mention?
Why, you’ll be seduced … and not even know it.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Play It Cool (1970) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Masumura constructs this story with a great degree of subtlety. He makes good use of framing, lighting, set-up, and foreshadowing to set up and deliver on the melodrama’s highs and lows, never quite approaching the sheer gutter of what real life within the sex industry resembles. His cast of characters are all broken in some way, and yet each retains something that gives them a singular joy worn more like an anchor than a badge of honor. In his eyes, Yumi is an earlier, dingier incarnation of Garry Marshall’s Pretty Woman (1990) – less a lot of the feel-good schtick, the pop soundtrack, Julia Roberts’ pearly whites, and the whole sugary veneer – but one wherein our leading lady wears a poker face unlike any of her contemporaries. As we learn in the last reel, she’ll stop at nothing to stay true to her values even if that means killing an unborn baby in the womb to send a parting message to the only man she ever truly loved … even if she really did.
Play It Cool (1970) was produced by Daiei Studios. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be exceptional from start-to-finish. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There’s a good commentary track from Jasper Sharp and Anne McKnight that rarely sticks to a single thread but is informative enough to give a thumbs up. There’s also a solid visual essay that explores some of Masumura’s career as well as offers up a few tidbits about the feature directly.
Recommended.
Honestly, Play It Cool initially didn’t appear like a film I’d spend much time critiquing. The subject matter was interesting, and the performances were solid; but overall, my first viewing was a touch underwhelming. However, something about it stuck with me – the way one character seemed to so lovingly keep thumbing her nose at convention – and I gave it a second viewing. Then I gave it’s commentary track a whirl. I even watched its conclusion a third time because I thought I’d missed something. To my surprise, I found a great deal more to like than dislike – more to think about than ignore – so much so that I’d encourage folks to similarly watch it and let it digest before judging it too harshly on superficial merits. There’s more to digest here than is apparent at first blush, so why not be swept away by the lovely Yumi – my God, those eyes are heavenly – and her feminine wiles into a world wherein she calls the shots in ways too numerous to mention?
Why, you’ll be seduced … and not even know it.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Play It Cool (1970) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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