Guilty of Romance is said to be the third film of the so-called “Hate Saga” (which includes Love Exposure & Cold Fish). A movie in which Sion Sono “depicted [his] love, respect, and fear towards women”. Intriguing? Yes!
The story is about 3 different women, a cop, a professor and a housewise, linked in some strange way. Seems like each one of them is trying to get away from their daily routine, trying to express their deep inner desires. The producer originally said the film will be “sensitive in Japan”, due to several sex scenes. But this erotically charged thriller should also deal with some other provocating themes, like death, madness and family.
Guilty of Romance was screened at Cannes 2011, in his director’s cut version (143min, vs. 112min for the international version), and will be released on DVD/BR in the UK on October 31, 2011 (edition includes both versions of the film).
FYI, it’s produced by japanese studio Nikkatsu (Sion Sono’s previous film, Cold Fish, was a Sushi Typhoon production, Nikkatsu’s gory sub-label). The first teaser here;
Updated on May 11 Added 3 clips from the film! Showing the submissiveness of a married woman (1st clip), who then becomes model, she’s shy but slowly forced to go beyond her limits (2nd clip). Finally, liberated, she’s having fun with some sort of stalker, and I guess one can see Sion Sono with his black&red shirt (3rd clip). Same woman, different faces.
The official synopsis, plus some stills;
Izumi is married to a famous romantic novelist but their life seems just a simple repetition without romance. One day, she decides to follow her desires and accepts to be a naked model that fakes sex in front of the camera. Soon she meets a mentor and starts selling her body to strangers but at home, she is still the wife she is supposed to be.One day a brutally murdered body is found in the love hotels district. The police tries to understand what happened.
Sources: PicturesDept, THR, Press Release, Directors’ Fortnight, @yobgol,
Article first published on Nov 8, 2010 under the title “Sion Sono’s next pic is Guilty of Romance”