The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Sundance London 2014

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Sundance London 2014: Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter | Review
25 April 2014
Keir Smith
Avatar
Keir Smith
25 April 2014

A sense of childlike excitement is born when terms such as “treasure hunter” are branded in cinema, as images of fairy tales and lost lands are instantly conjured up. This sense of adventure is directly found from the first scene in this picture as we are shown our lead Kumiko discovering a mysterious video tape in a bizarre setting.

The fantasy element of the opening scene is sucked out of the picture early on and replaced with a relentlessly grey silent landscape as we learn that Kumiko is a painfully shy outcasted drone of society with little hope in her life. The turgid landscape is brilliantly oxymoronic from the initial tone as the audience is trapped in Kumiko’s shell of a life with little relief found anywhere. The scenes of social interaction are amazingly crafted as a distinctive sense of impending doom, usually saved for horror films, are injected into the scenes making the audience live the awkwardness.

The VHS found by Kumiko is an old copy of the American film Fargo and this becomes a source of escapism for her as she becomes obsessed with one particular scene, leading her to travel across the world to investigate it further. The film is essentially split into two acts: the first part encapsulates the sense of miserable claustrophobia, while the second half represents more of an expanded journey, where the film starts to unfortunately fall flat.

Despite the sense of intrigue and dark fascination in the opening of the film being lost in the latter part, there are still moments of interest and even pockets of humour. Visually the cinematography is stunning throughout – vivid landscapes are a common sight as Kumiko strolls through breathtakingly beautiful lands.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a film that requires its audience to bury themselves in the tone of Kumiko’s life and believe in the story wholeheartedly. While some elements work better than others, the sense of isolation and surreal hope is maintained throughout, making it an enjoyably dark and memorable journey.

★★★★★

Keir Smith

For further information about Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter visit here.

Read more reviews from Sundance London 2014 here, for further information about the festival visit here.

Related Itemskumiko the treasure hunterreviewsundance london

More in Sundance London 2014

Finding Fela

★★★★★
Laura Jorden
Read More

They Came Together

★★★★★
Keir Smith
Read More

Little Accidents

Kate Knowles
Read More

The Voices

★★★★★
Kate Knowles
Read More

Drunktown’s Finest

★★★★★
Keir Smith
Read More

Memphis

★★★★★
Keir Smith
Read More

Frank

★★★★★
Laura Jorden
Read More

Fruitvale Station

★★★★★
Liloie Cazorla
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Plan 75
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • More than Ever (Plus que Jamais)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Lykke Li – EYEYE
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Moonage Daydream
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Stephen Fry enters the Radio Times Hall of Fame in conversation with Alan Yentob at the BFI Imax
    Cinema & Tv
  • Layering masters: How to make authentically delicious lasagne
    Food & Drinks
  • The Five Devils (Les Cinq Diables)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • “Love is a relationship between two people where they show who they really are”: Press conference with the team behind Decision to Leave
    Cannes
  • Moonage Daydream
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Crimes of the Future
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Boy from Heaven (Walad Min Al Janna)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • The Princess of Shoreditch in Shoreditch: “Ruth Hansom will only cook with the freshest and finest”
    Food & Drinks
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Sundance London 2014: They Came Together | Review
Sundance London 2014: Finding Fela | Review