Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2015) – Review

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It is my destiny,” said Kumiko, the Office Lady.

Kumiko is our guilty pleasure we don’t regret for her atmospheric thrill and Kikuchi’s sympathetic performance.

Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi—Babel, Pacific Rim, 47 Ronin), a Japanese office lady living in solitude and desperation; she’s a lost soul who seeks for escapes through treasure hunts.  She found an old VHS tape of Coen Brothers’ Fargo, which she’s mistaken as a documentary for it fake disclaimer, to trigger her quirky adventure in this overly cold Tokyo-to-Minnesota black comedy.  Poor Kumiko, she thought Steve Buscemi’s buried briefcase was real; she even mapped the location based on the motion picture. Yet, she, turns out, came unprepared for this treasure hunt. She didn’t belong to Minnesota’s wilderness–the true face of Fargo. Wish she got a chance to watch Noah Hawley’s Fargo series or, at least, read some Wikipedia article; perhaps, she wouldn’t get-a-go to Minnesota subzero plains. Simply saying, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a reversed Lost in Translation and Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain. This is a dreamy journey to a foreign land that, we know, will end fruitless, but we can’t get enough of it. Zellner Brothers, who seemingly two devoted fans of Coen Brothers, know well how to make audiences feeling sympathetic to the titular character—who wanders around with a cloak made of motel blanket. Every single folly decision of Kumiko is the audience’s remorse to enjoy. Kumiko is the audiences’ guilty pleasure that we will finally regret once the ending hit the ground. Even if this slow-burner modern fairy tale might get you frustrated, you wouldn’t regret Kumiko’s beauty exposed through elegant cinematography and Kikuchi’s sympathetic performance. It’s atmospheric.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2015)

Drama Directed by: David Zellner Written by: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner Starred by: Rinko Kikuchi Running Time: 105 mins Unrated

IMDb | Official Site



Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) adalah seorang office lady yang hidup dalam kesendirian dan nestapa. Jiwanya selalu mencari jalan keluar lewat treasure hunt favoritnya. Suatu hari, ia menemukan suatu kaset VHS Fargo karya Coen Brother yang ia kira dokumenter. Petualangan uniknya dari Tokyo ke Minnesota pun dimulai dalam black comedy super dingin ini. Malangnya Kumiko. Ia mengira koper uang yang dikubur Steve Buscemi dalam Fargo nyata; bahkan ia sempat memetakan lokasinya. Tapi sayang, ia tidak benar-benar siap untuk treasure hunt-nya kali ini. Minnesota bukanlah tempat yang tepat untuknya. Andai ia pernah menonton serial Fargo di FX atau setidaknya membaca laman Fargo di Wikipedia; mungkin ia tak perlu jauh-jauh menyelami dinginnya Minnesota. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter adalah versi kebalikan Lost in Translation dan Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain. Inilah perjalanan impian menuju tanah impian yang sayangnya pasti tak berujung, tapi kita tak bisa membendungnya. Zellner Brothers, yang nampaknya fans berat Coen Brothers, tahu pasti caranya membuat penonton terus bersimpati pada Kumiko—yang mereka buat mengembara dengan berjubah selimut. Setiap keputusan bodoh Kumiko akhirnya ikut menjadi penyesalan kita juga. Kumiko adalah guilty pleasure kita yang akan kita sesali pada akhirnya. Namun, meski drama yang sangat pelan ini menyebalkan, kecantikan Kumiko melalui sinematografi yang elegan serta penampilan simpatis Kikuchi takkan kita sesali. Kumiko‘s atmospheric.

4 responses to “Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2015) – Review”

  1. Andrew Avatar
    Andrew

    I am obsessed with the film’s plot…like…it feels so hilariously fresh, and I can’t wait to see this. Nice review.

    1. Paskalis Damar AK Avatar
      Paskalis Damar AK

      Thanks. I just knew that it’s based on a perceived true story hmm

  2. Luthfi Prasetya Avatar
    Luthfi Prasetya

    Endingnya itu lho, bisa buat hati senang tapi juga membuat hati ini perih, huehuehue

    1. Paskalis Damar AK Avatar
      Paskalis Damar AK

      Kalau saya lebih ke arah perih hehehe

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