DETROIT METAL CITY

Director: Toshio Lee
Stars: Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Yoshihiko Hosoda, Ryuji Rosa Kato, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Gene Simmons
Year: 2008
Rating: N/R
(in Japanese w/English subtitles)

For those who caught Ken'ichi Matsuyama's understated, quiet, and introspective performance as "L" in the brilliant Death Note, as well as in its sequel and spin-off, and wondered whether he was a one-note actor ... wonder no more. You'll not only hardly recognize the guy in Detroit Metal City, but Matsuyama also masterfully plays two distinctly different characters in the film - the nerdy, virginal Negishi, whose sole ambition in life is to become a pop music star ... and Krauser, the death metal music fiend Negishi becomes instead. And Matsuyama is so damned convincing as both, his performances (or maybe, it should be said, "performances") make the film worth a view alone.

Negishi, a poor, slightly backward and even a bit feminine (though he's straight) farm boy with a mushroom haircut, has spent his early life dreaming of going to Tokyo and becoming a famous pop star, singing tunes about first love and first kisses in the most bubble-gummy of fashion. So when his mother ships him off to Tokyo, to attend college, Negishi finds some friends and spouts wisdom like "No Music, No Dream" as his motto - which also charms and inspires his friends in their own search for their place in the world.

But flash forward five years later, and we learn that Negishi has taken quite another path to musical stardom, indeed - as Johannes Krauser II, lead singer of one of the most violent, evil death metal bands to ever perform music, Detroit Metal City - or DMC, for short. In full makeup and long reddish-blond wig, Negishi's singing and music have gone a long way into making DMC not just one but THE death metal band to listen to in Japan on the indie scene. Their followers spew the band's message or destruction, annihilation, abuse/rape of women, and hate ... and Negishi is nothing short of absolutely miserable, writing and playing and singing music that is the absolute antithesis of everything he ever wanted to do.

The plain truth is, Negishi is a wimp - and totally at the mercy of the band's manager (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a beautiful but completely crazy woman who worships death metal and is the one person who seems to see the real talent in Negishi - even if she is willing to twist and pervert that talent for her own good. She's a psychotic, violent, chain-smoking bully determined to keep the three band members in line, even if that means beating the snot out of them - and Negishi, the only one really fighting to give up DMC, is often her primary target.

Meanwhile, things get complicated when Negishi runs into old college friend Yuri (the beautiful Rosa Kato), a young woman he had THE biggest crush on all through college, and would dearly love to date. Yuri always loved the music Negishi wrote and played, and would be wholly disgusted and shocked if she knew he was Krauser (not to mention a part of DMC) - a fact that Negishi finds harder and harder to hide as the film goes on, especially when another man starts paying Yuri a lot of attention ... and Negishi can only be bold enough to confront the situation or check up on them when dressed as Krauser!

But clashes do come, and secrets are revealed - and everything ends up boiling down to one last battle of the bands, as the death metal king of all time, Jack Il Dark (Gene Simmons - and yeah, THAT Gene Simmons), challenges DMC to one final concert ... to see who, indeed, is the future of death metal. And Negishi has to confront his demons, tell Yuri the truth, and somehow break free of Krauser in order to play the music he really loves.

The film definitely has its funny moments; Matsuyama hams it up just enough, as Negishi, to show the effectively portray a man very much afraid of the very world to which he aches to belong. His scenes with Yuri, especially, truly shine - and Matsuyama, no doubt, is as adept at comedy as he was playing "L". As Krauser, complete with satanic smile and gravel-coated voice, he's the yin to Negishi's yang - again, in a role that could have been cartoonish in another actor's hands, but comes off completely real thanks to Matsuyama's immense talent. Seriously, as "L" he totally won me over as an actor; in this film, he shines with the true versatility of a seasoned character actor.

The supporting cast, especially the two ladies that play Negishi's love interest and insane band member, is excellent as well, in a story that can be touching, but is also truly the kind of comedy in which the humor can sneak up on you without warning. Though I thought the ending just a little bit of a letdown, overall I really liked and laughed at Detroit Metal City - though in the end, it was the gifts of the film's lead actor that this reviewer won't soon forget. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome