Big Man Japan

_“If Christopher Guest made a Japanese monster movie, the end result might be BIG MAN JAPAN.” _- Todd Gilchrist, Cinematical

“Decidedly odd, even by Japanese standards, this mockumentary about an electrically charged, skyscraper-high superhero saddled with misfortune, bad press and even worse TV ratings is tears-down-the-face funny and a genuine, jaw-dropping oddity.”- Russell Edwards, Variety

The deceptively benign synopsis from the Director’s Fortnight Catalog in 2007 said of BIG MAN JAPAN (DAI NIPPONJIN): “Dai Sato leads a dull, routine life, thus continuing a family tradition. He must keep the peace. But most people belittle his responsibilities. This is a film about human relations: Dai Sato’s relations, with his agent, his ex-wife, his daughter, and a grandfather suffering from dementia.”

The photo in the program guide was equally deadpan serious. DAI NIPPONJIN seemed to be the dullest movie of the festival at first glance. But if you caught the name of the director Hitoshi Matsumoto, you might have had your first clue that a monumentally surreal adventure was lurking just below the surface. The world premiere screening left the audience dazed, rattled and distinctly divided. The weirdos found a new hero while the normals clawed into some intense head-scratched. But for me, Dai Nipponjin has become a litmus test. Those who don’t enjoy this film can still be my friends, but secretly deep down inside, I will never, ever again trust their taste on anything. (Tim League)