Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl - 9.5/10
Yet another insanely entertaining, and impressive romp from directorial mastermind, Katsuhito Ishii. The budget on this film was obviously lesser than that of both Funky Forest, or The Taste of Tea, but that doesn't translate to this being an inferior film by any means.
Like Ishii's subsequent works, Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl manages to paint a world all of its own, where it boldly toys with the language of film. Littered with unique visuals, slick jump cuts, masterful framing, superb art direction & attention to wardrobe; the film's near 2 hour running time is completely unnoticeable. In fact, the film is so lively, and animated that you'll never want it to end - typical Ishii fare.
Action packed sequences, moments of pure tension, quirky visual gags, and multiple scenes of humanity's sadistic darkness are transitioned between with great ease due to stellar performances from the entire cast. Particularly Tadanobu Asano, who owned his portrayal so well in this and both of the other Ishii films I've seen, that I'm highly compelled to re-watch Ichi the Killer, a film I haven't seen in years, solely just to watch him work his magic on screen once more.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, your entire outlook on films may be altered, just by watching this (or Funky Forest, or Taste of Tea for that matter) - I know mine was. This is one that you can't miss. I recommend Shark Skin Man & Peach Hip Girl with my highest regards.