It is a meeting of the minds. Deranged, crass and criminal minds; minds that belong to a group of felons who are convening to discuss a heist that turned sour six years ago. Cultured and respectable as they are — or at least hope to be — they gather for an evening of nyotaimori, the practice of eating sushi off the body of a naked woman.
Thus, Sushi Girl — a pulpy, bloody, entertaining piece of grindhouse-style cinema — sees this naked woman (Cortney Palm), who is unable to talk, move, or react to anything that is going on around her, literally at the centre of the action. And while she doesn’t watch, the sounds and screams are enough to make anyone squirm. This is a meeting that does not move amicably.
The action oscillates from a dark, desolate restaurant in the present to the past, back to when the group was optimistic before a diamond heist went wrong. Six years later, they are looking for resolution, along with their loot.
The baritone-voiced and imposing Tony Todd (of Candyman fame) plays Duke, the leader of the clan. As much fun as it is to watch him play evildoer, though, it is Mark Hamill — yes, that Mark Hamill — who steals the spotlight.
Hamill is Crow, a slovenly, sadistic, effeminate deviant whose perverse stares and greasy hair make him all the more scary compared to his other cohorts, including the brutish Max (Andy Mackenzie) and reformed Francis (James Duval). Hamill delivers clichéd lines with conviction, and is strangely captivating every creepy step of the way, eliciting both revulsion and laughter.
It is a movie fit for a different time, but is worthy enough to amuse even those who aren’t familiar with the famous cast or the esoteric allusions to classic, gratuitous entertainment from the ’80s and onward (including a great turn of phrase from Robocop — you’ll know the one).
A few other notable actors, such as Sonny Chiba and Danny Trejo, make small appearances in this surprisingly satisfying piece of dark and twisty nostalgic cinema, which is reminiscent of the far superior Reservoir Dogs.
Sushi Girl (wisely) doesn’t try to be anything bigger or different than what it is: an entertaining and gory revenge thriller starring some iconic actors at their most fiendish, along with one very disciplined and very ominous sushi girl.
Sushi Girl, The Projection Booth Metro, 677 Bloor St. W. Dec. 9-13. The Projection Booth East, 1035 Gerrard St. E., Dec. 7-20
