Loved Gun is a story about a hitman named Hayamada (Masatoshi Nagase) who carries a distinctive red gun. As the film progresses we discover the reason for his work, and how he came to be alone. His aim right now is to reach a desitination, but he’s late. Along the way, having injured himself in a vehicular accident, he runs into Miyuki (Aoi Miyazaki), who as also become alone due to tragic events within her family. As Hamayada collapses from his injuries Miyuki takes him to a hospital.

At the same time, Maruyama (Ittoku Kishibe) is asked to take on a new apprentice in the form of Taneda (Hirofumi Arai). Tenacious, naive and full of arrogance, Maruyama is not impressed, and positively destroys the young man, turning him into one without fear. Maruyama explains the distinction between the bullets that are fired, different colours representing the emotions and soul of the person firing the gun. He also happens to Hayamada’s uncle, and the man who caused Hayamada’s tragic life to transpire. the two are set to meet, to settle a score, as both come to terms with their past, in order to settle the future.

Director Kensaku Watanabe is part of a new wave of directors that have been influneced by Tarantino’s style of film making. The film has impressed many, but I personally found it a bore. Much of the direction and many of the scenes are original, and distinctive. Such as the intial revealing of the red gun by Hamayada which is done with some exaggeration. The back story of his relationship with his uncle and how they were on the run from hitmen, one of which seemed to have escaped from a low-budget Hong Kong martial arts film.

There’s much to like about Loved Gun such as the characters, the ideas, the trendy direction, the episodic and fragmented nature of the film. It feels more like a comic book to be honest, with dialogue being kept to a minimum and actions speaking louder than words being the priority. There’s little action, so if you’re expecting a Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction type of gun fiesta, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Around seven shots are fired throught the movie (excluding machine gun fire), which gives you an idea that his is more about the story than the action.

It’s unfortunate that the whole thing comes together as a laboured and tiring effort. Yes, it’s modern, it’s trendy, it has a lot of quirky ideas but the ability to tell a story lacks. It’s a interesting tale, with a satsifying conclusion, but much of how it runs up to that point is an effort to get through. I found myself bored at times, rather hoping that someone would shoot me, and then at times the film surprises with some interesting scenes.

The acting is solid throughout, everyone can be proud of their efforts, but it’s just part of a weakly written script – if there even was a script, since there seems to be a severe lack of it. It’s never confusing, just poorly put together – whether this is down to the editing or the actual direction, it’s hard to say, but it certainly bores as often as it entertains. In that light, the film is rather average.

If this is an example of Tarantino influenced films, then Japan is in for a stretch of mediocirty, as I find Tarantino myself an outspoken director with little to offer; often his interviews provide more entertainment than the films he creates. I think Japanese directors could perhaps look elsewhere for inspiration and influence, such as the often controversial but always challenging Takashi Miike, a homegrown talent; leaving Tarantino wannabes to American audiences.

With tighter direction, and a better script, providing more depth to the characters, Loved Gun could have worked well. The characters are in fact rather hollow, and may as well join the cast of Casper the friendly ghost for all the soul they offer, which is a trace amount. You don’t care what happens to the characters as such, only admiring the actors doing their best, and really feel eager for it to end as quickly as possible. The film feels longer than it should be, or is simply paced poorly.

Either way, Loved is certainly not one to add to your DVD collection, and will only be attractive to the iPod generation of style over content, of which Loved Gun has an abundance and in that regard succeeds were that it’s goal.

Verdict: Some great ideas in a mostly boring, self-concious, average film. Disappointing