A messed up, deadbeat father is looking for his even more messed up and depraved, missing harlot of a daughter in the shady, gang and drug ridden underground of some Japanese city. It's very stylish, reminiscent of Tarrantino at times, and it starts out quite intriguing, but ultimately it leads to a rather unsatisfying conclusion. Some things are quite unrealistic and not very believable, but if viewed as hyperbole, it's a pretty decent portrayal of the pure evil of borderline personality disorder. The underlying moral of the story is very obviously that parenting and a healthy family are important, but the movie lacks the emotional component that would make the audience relate with the characters. The "cool" 70's music and style is also quite out of place for a movie that tries to be dark and serious.
Bottom line: Watchable, but unsatisfying.
Review of The World of Kanako
