A Hunter's Quest

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Ever feel out of place? Ever feel so alone that the world around you seems to fade into just a blur? I know I have. I felt this way in my adolescence and I drew inward into myself. That is until I found movies. At times I so wanted to live out the plots of some movies like Star Wars or even Back to the Future. However, in last year’s rave of Sundance Film Festival, the main character of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter takes that obsession at least a few steps further.

Reserved Japanese office worker Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi Pacific Rim) lives her life with very little contact with the outside world. Kumiko’s reality becomes even more askew when she discovers a VHS tape of the Coen Brothers classic film Fargo. Believing that the money that Steve Buscemi’s character hides in the middle of the Minnesota snow covered wilderness is real, Kumiko steals a company credit card and sets off to America in search of ‘treasure’. Kumiko soon finds that her quest isn’t as easy as she thought it would be.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a deep, heart wrenching, and beautiful film filled with amazing cinematography and one of the most outstanding single acting performances I have seen. The film takes a look at how inverted we as humans can get and how we try so very hard to find meaning in our lives.  I enjoyed this movie immensely because I thought that Kumiko was very relatable, even with how fantastical the plot can be.

Rinko Kikuchi delivers one of best performances to date. Due to the plot, Kikuchi must carry the film and she does a masterful job. Kikuchi draws you in to her self-induced solidarity and you are soon able to feel sympathy for her. Kikuchi is also so convincingly determined that what she has seen in Fargo is real that by the end of the film, I started to believe it too. As I said before, the film centers on her that the entire supporting cast is on screen and then gone just as quickly. The only character that stays with her long enough to make an impression is David Zellner (Kid-Thing) who is only credited as Policeman. Zellner tries to help Kumiko and has this wonderful Andy Griffith-type quality that makes him instantly likable. Though as I said, his character is gone very swiftly.

Having a small part in the film, David Zellner also directs this tale along with his brother Nathan. The Zellner are able to bring the attractiveness of Kumiko’s loneliness and mirror it with the Minnesota outdoors. They are also able to take a plot that is so obviously illogical and maybe a little stupid into a soul searching, inspiring film for the human spirit. Their work with the camera is awe-inspiring in itself. They shoot this film so marvelously that I really couldn’t take my eyes off of the scenery.

This film is awesome and one of the most underrated films of 2014. Basing its plot on an urban legend, the Zellner brothers create a wonderful story and absolutely gorgeous story both with the acting and with the cinematography.

The Verdict: Worth Your Time.