Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: ONE-PERCENTER [Fantastic Fest 2023 - Austin, Texas]
The idea of a lost cause or lost ideals revolves around the idea of what is considered valuable but also what it takes to become the best. "One Percenter" uses the perspective of the real to juxtapose within pre-conceived notions of what an action film can be (or by that extent an action star). The film here is particularly meta in its wanton lore of bringing its fans back to a talent that has been waylaid. Tak Sakaguchi plays an aging action star who with his zero range combat can give the action genre back its legs through his skill and "wave" attack style. After his heyday (likely in the 90s), he is now watching kung fu action being made on wires and young bucks who have no idea what it means to be truly there in the moment. He tries to pitch the big film he always wanted. A producer gives him access to an island that just might be right (but of course there likely is a catch). Like the recent "Plane", this island area is a death trap populated by Yakuza moving some weight with a kidnappee in play who has her own agenda. Also in play is Sakaguchi's assistant filming everything on his phone to show it is all for real.
The key for the back half of the movie is to use essential props has fighting elements. The first half is meant to lull the viewer into thinking that there might be a bit of mockumentary here. But it is about the switch,. Some of the shots through the industr ial complex obviously have some CG assistance but most of the work keys in when it is in dark and dank spaces where the camera literally needs to fly around. Specifically a flashlight scene comes to mind because Sakaguchi uses the inherent blinding concept to full effect even as the light runs out of battery power. The wrench in another scene serves a similar function twisting body parts as Sakaguchi moves in and out trying really not to kill anyone while informing the crunch at every turn. The Yakuza leader approaches Sakaguchi's antics with aplomb playing tongue in cheek to the the aspect that this damage shouldn't be done by one man. The best element of the film by far is his daughter, a one-legged sadist determinely wanton to be with the big boss' daughter who in parallel was kidnapped when her father was assassinated. Sakaguchi is finally pushed over the edge by a final act that ups the stakes. The use of a certain classical music piece resounds the context that only the best will survive. There is some comedy peppered in throughout with those "actors" from his old movies who want to help him fight. Ultimately none of them will survive because he knows what "true action" is and that only when you do it for real do you prevail. For all its reflection, "One Percenter" is almost too aware of itself despite some quite visceral action pieces which, though intense, are not overtly cinematic...and that is perhaps on purpose. B
By Tim Wassberg
