DRIVE

SATURDAY 25 OCTOBER AT 7:15PM UGC SHAFTESBURY AVE SCREEN 1

Country Japan Running Time 102 mins Format 35mm Dir/S'play Sabu (aka Hiroyuki Tanaka) Prods Osamu Kubota, Takashi Hirano DoP Kazuhito Sato Cast Shinichi Tsutsumi, Kou Shibasaki, Ren Ohsugi, Susumu Terajima, Masanobu Ando, Toshio Kakei Print Source Open Sesame Co E ritsuko@open-sesame.jp

Over the past decade, Sabu has proven himself to be one of the most popular and dependable directors working in Japan. His wild and free-form action-comedies, populated by quirky characters who hurtle headlong through squirming narratives steered by the forces of incidence and coincidence, have earned him legions of fans.

Kenichi is the archetypal stressed out white-collar worker, whose anally obsessive disposition is at the root of his chronic headaches. His slavish attention to time-keeping has its perks, however, in the form of a beautiful unknown girl (Battle Royale's Koh Shibasaki) who rounds the corner of the street where Kenichi parks his car at exactly 1pm everyday. But today his routine looks set to be ruined as he is car-jacked by a gang of bank robbers. Unfortunately for them, their new driver refuses to break the speed limit.

With a cast of some of Japan's finest actors, including three Takeshi Kitano regulars in the roles of the bickering crooks, Sabu once again establishes a madcap framework chock-full of memorable comic moments, including Susumu Terajima's hysterical, life-affirming tirade against the audience at a punk concert. Drive is a headlong charge to who knows where, and the ride proves unforgettable. JS

Former actor Sabu started made his directorial debut on his own script D.A.N.G.A.N. Runner in 1996, which attracted attention in Japan and overseas. His second film Postman Blues (1998) was similarly well received. He followed this with festival hits Unlucky Monkey and Monday.