A Drowning Man

One evening Yumiko (Kataoka) drowns in her bath. Her husband Tokiyo (Tsukamoto, director of Tetsuo) notices, but doesn't know what to do. He makes coffee, drains the tub, carries Yumiko to the couch and begs her to revive. Meanwhile, Yumiko herself dreams of being dead and traversing scrubland. Next day, things are nearly normal: Yumiko makes dinner, Tokiyo has a hangover. Soon, though, Yumiko starts piling on the air-freshener to camouflage the very dodgy smell permeating the apartment. Ichio says his debut feature was inspired by his own divorce, and his script has an originality and impact that suggest authentically felt emotional pain. Sadly, the film is let down by rather dull mise-en-scène and visuals. But the actors are terrific and the slide towards emotional breakdown is quite moving. A love story, then, but with a dripping tap and a nagging bad smell.