残酷

　　% %Constantly on +] t ;he=$^ h*unt an]d suffering ]#(+fr(#om hallucinati !ons*/^) that drive his violen
!`t nature, an )u$=_nnamed m;?a+=!n is _?!capt-ur.ing women a_ =`n_d s-;avagely beating* them to death. Meanwhile, a  )w =oma\[n is ) luring men into a vi.olent end, b@$ ^y wa#;y of h?[er knife. Driven b.?_y #the same f/orce to mak,#[e t-/h e  opp.^osite se(\_\x suff.er(, the k-]ille,^*rs’ fates in*^tertwine?%. The t*
wo )$ mus@[t fa=\\ce off i,*n =a[ batt\/le to ,the death, `in-@ which^ they are \f
`orced to reveal\_ the  ho*\/rr$ib!. le tru;th;% behind th!\.eir addicti
!on to murder.　　“Br,]-uta(_l” takes an@@ interes
ting app@`)roa,)ch to its visuals, drawing heavy `\ influenc!^\e fro;m Western “Grindhou%^se” film`s, usi ]]ng a filter to make t/he footage appe_ @ar grainy,
]$dama ged, [and with li! _;:g),ht and (%co@-.lor fluctua#:#tions. Unfortunat!/ely,+%
 +#t!^he visual styling ends up+ feelin,g misguide# d, as othe/r/# than ap\
ply,in()]g the ;(filte.
r it does not imitate an#[\y.. .`other aspects of the “G$rin=d[house” genre. Des#pit\$e try@ing to dirt]
^y ?up _the film, it is  appar]\ent it .was sh`@ ot o#@n digi:[*?tal. T:.[h -e (c(+_i
n#^.ematography is^( ./$-a^!)):lso a step above most  (“Grindhouse” p%\r+oduct#\ )ions, w),^+ith Takash@
`i H)irose proving [ (% ]he has t:= %alent beh $@in\,$d the cam;/era. E,.@xterior shots to th?$ose takin[//g pla.;;ce in  @small \(spac /es^ are all c%ompe !tentl y fram:=ed, +lit, and transit\ion well. T]!_[he de)$ci%-!sion to add an- [ effect on top = o(f `/the) (=w*ork hu`;+)rts ] the film’s =ima/.gery ?
=]a=`$nd eve!n :gives a sense o; =f de:^speratio)n to tr* :y??: to captu)(r*(*e a certain typ?e o =-f nos(?[talgia wit:_)+h the audi)/$en#ce$, in%,#ste;)ad of relying on 
!its own strengths. It is unfortu[=nate when on,e(^ $cr^$eati;-ve choice can hurt a production  so much.　　The stor^y o: ,(f *“Brutal” is simple but effective, it d $,@^oes a=tte m-*/pt] some sor t o@f social co/mme# ntary a%?-b-ou ^)t the violent nature of men and women,= but it do; es not offer enough
 _depth in($t._o %%the subjec!_t t,,;o j?@us tify th #
e amount of vi+)ole_/*nce on di=splay. The film \do][(es end on a(+# strong n)@=ote with an interes_%,tin(;\g twist, wit* h a rev$)*eal that i#[s bound t! o g$ross some :%;out, whi`:_le giving%[ others\*;\ a chuckle. -I/$\n s+^pite of its sim(-pl^^e n
+ature, those: who enjo * y fi*@lms that make th( *em ^ so-mewh?*at.+ uncom)!f)ortable and enjoy th_%e c/]halleng[)/e of get=
ting th,r?\o ugh some ul`tra-v+$=i= [[olence, “?Brutal” poses a (`,fun and enter,]:taining chal
lenge in ` @th`^a
\_#:t regard.