The Magic Hour (2008)

Original title

ザ・マジックアワー

Directed by

Kōki Mitani

Genre

comedy film

Country

Japan

Runtime

2h 16m

Rated

12

Rating

7.5 of 10 from 44 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In a fictional port town, a local gang boss hires a failing actor to pose as a legendary hit man. The actor has no idea he is in real danger, which leads to a series of slapstick mistakes.

playfullightheartedsillyfast-pacedchaoticcomedicwhimsicalnostalgic

What happens

The Magic Hour (ザ・マジックアワー) is a 2008 Japanese comedy film written and directed by Kōki Mitani. Set in the fictional port town of Sukago, the film depicts the slapstick that ensues when an unsuccessful actor is turned into a "legendary hit man" by the boss of the town who has his hands on his mistress. The film features numerous homages to famous scenes from Hollywood classics and Japanese masterpieces. For example, Eri Fukatsu sings on the crescent moon in the play, which is Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown, and the song is I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles, which Sean Penn sang to Samantha Morton. According to photography experts, "the golden hour, sometimes called the 'magic hour', is roughly the first hour of light after sunrise, and the last hour of light before sunset, although the exact duration varies between seasons. During these times the sun is low in the sky, producing a soft, diffused light which is much more flattering than the harsh midday sun." In photography and cinematography, the magic hour is only a moment and the most beautiful time of the day, when afterglow of a sunset lights up around. By extension in this film, it means "the most glittering years of everyone's life". A Chinese remake, Too Cool to Kill, was released in 2022. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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