Review: So, this was my introduction to the pinku eiga (or 'pink film') genre; a very Japanese phenomenon. For those of you that, like me, are not to familiar with the ins and outs (pun, most definitely, intended) of pink films, they're essentially soft porn but, soft porn, with a difference; narrative, cinematography and characterisation are given as much consideration as the titillation. It's a genre that has been prolific since the early sixties and has proved to be a spawning ground for many notable directors of contemporary Japanese cinema; the likes of Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takahisa Zeze, Ryuichi Hiroki, Yojiro Takita and Masayuki Suo all popped their cinematic cherries in the world of pinku eiga.

When director Meike Mitsuru thrust his thirteenth film, HORNY HOME TUTOR: TEACHER'S LOVE JUICE, into the network of specialist pink film cinemas in Japan, few people could've expected that it would become a huge cult hit. In fact, it was such a success that his producers provided him with the funds to expand it into the feature THE GLAMOROUS LIFE OF SACHIKO HANAI.

So, is it titillating and, ultimately, is it any good?

Well, I'd say that Emi Kuroda is pretty cute but, because of the violent nature of almost all the scenes of a sexual nature, I'm not sure if you could describe them as being titillating, at least, not in a conventional sense. Whether it's a fantasy role-play, being taken advantage of whilst incapacitated, rape, the seduction of a high school / college student or being violated by the cloned finger of George W. Bush; it's very much a product of its genre and highlights a cultural difference in Japanese erotica. Still, I doubt that many people will be watching this, purely, for titillation (I promise, that's the last time I'll use the 'T' word in this review); they'll be watching it after reading the back of the DVD case and thinking 'bloody hell, that sounds crackers!' and, they'd be right. And, if you've read my synopsis of the film without sharing similar thoughts, then you're probably a little crackers yourself.

When I read the synopsis of this film, I instantly though that it sounded like something I should watch, although I've been stung, in the past, by Japanese films that sound inventively insane, only to discover that they are trite, dull or, even, incredibly annoying (I know I'm in the minority, but SURVIVE STYLE 5+ was a prime example of this). As a result, it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I began watching THE GLAMOROUS LIFE OF SACHIKO HANAI. However, after watching it, I can safely say that I was not let down.

Despite its low budget and stylised brand of pinku erotica, I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw. Meike Mitsuru has crafted an original and engaging film which embraces the conventions of its genre and ejaculates silliness and campy fun onto the screen. People have criticised the film for the inclusion of Sachiko's rambling philosophical monologues and asked questions about what, if any, political point is being made; in my opinion, anyone who is trying to read into the meaning of a film where George W. Bush appears on a roof-top television and remote violates the main protagonist with a clone of his finger, demanding "an inspection", is missing the point. For me, the political references serve only to add to the whacked out humour of the film and don't contribute to a grand political statement that lurks behind the cum shots; sure, the film pokes a little bit of fun in the direction of President Bush but, in the film at least, he gets to... Well, I'm sure you can see where I was going with that. As for the philosophy, well, it is integral to the narrative, no matter how ridiculous that may sound, and seeing someone sent into sexual rapture upon hearing the name of Noam Chomsky must be a cinematic first.

The film's modest budget is, perhaps, most evident in the special effects, with clearly visible wires suspending Bush's naughty finger and the wealth of foam latex, which adorns Sachiko's forehead, adds an old school charm. As for the cast, which is made up of pinku veterans, they all embrace their roles with the glee that one would expect. Like I said before, Emi Kuroda is pretty cute and does everything she can to breath life into the the film's titular character, whether she's being sexy, funny or downright strange. Takeshi Ito manages to bring a degree of gravitas to his North Korean spy and Yukijiro Hotaru almost manages to steal the show, as the enamoured university professor, especially as he waltzes down some stairs, throwing shapes in a state of undress, asking the question "Am I being too existentialistic?"

All in all, this isn't a film that everyone will enjoy, some people may hate it but, for what it's worth, I thought it was a hoot; it made me laugh, when it was meant to, amused me with its campy, bizarre, nature and, even though it didn't titillate (shows how much my promises are worth), I thoroughly enjoyed it, for the curio that it is.