Skip to main content

Jam (2018)

Jam 2018 Movie Poster

Jam is a 2018 Japanese comedy drama movie written and directed by SABU. A follow-up 8 episode TV show was produced in 2021 called Jam: The Drama.

Hiroshi, Takeru and Tetsuo all live in the same city. Hiroshi is an unpopular idol singer and he feels a void in his life. He is placed under confinement by his fan Masako. Takeru believes that a girl returns to consciousness. Tetsuo decides to take revenge on a yakuza who sent him to prison.

Freddy and Krasnaya Movie Review
***SPOILER ALERT***

Three Characters, One Fate: Jam's Interlocking Coincidences

FREDDY:
Hey there! We're almost finishing our SABU week and I want to tell you that I wouldn't mind doing a SABU marathon after watching Jam. This movie has a similar story structure to SABU's Dangan Runner and you will find the usual director's imagetic. Someone is always running when close to the climax, and the plot is resolved this time with a car rushing to the sounds of beeping music (I love that arrangement. I will leave the scene below). So, like yesterday's movie, we follow 3 characters that are bound together by destiny and we go back and forth to find out what happened to them and how they connect with each other. This time the story was really interesting and the coincidences were a bit more plausible.
KRASNAYA:
Hey Freddy! I agree, let's make an exception and do a marathon. SABU deserves it 100%! Jam turned out to be a very charming work, with an exciting plot, where comical vocal numbers are replaced by moments of kindness or savory showdowns. SABU loves fusion. As you already understand, it is always a mix of different genres, as our life is actually. For me, this film is about different types of love: manic love, a grandson's love for his grandmother, and, of course, about love as the last breath of life. A grandmother lives in a stroller, it seems, solely thanks to romantic inertia. I liked the film as much as the critics of the Moscow International Film Festival in 2019. Jam received the award for best film.
JAM 2018 GIF
This was a very funny scene with awesome editing work.

A Polished Cast and One Forgivable Flaw

FREDDY:
So far, this movie has the best cast yet. The development of the 3 characters was satisfactory and I felt sympathy for the 3 of them. The comedy also worked on the spot in this movie. The actors were very funny when they had to be. Unlike SABU's previous movie we've seen, I didn't find a single scene being overplayed. I found this his most polished movie so far and I can only observe one flaw. That's the last scene when the Number 1 Fan (Mariko Tsutsui) smashes against Hiroshi (Shô Aoyagi). I UNDERSTAND! It wouldn't be a SABU movie without the sentimentalism, but damn, she wouldn't have ever landed like that with that crash!
KRASNAYA:
I liked Mariko Tsutsui (Masako) the most. She perfectly played the manic fan, conveying the whole gamut of feelings from total happiness to tragic disappointment. I felt so sad for her when Hiroshi excluded the song she was waiting to hear so much.
Mariko Tsutsui Jam GIF
I absolutely love Mariko Tsutui eyes!

Lost in Translation, Epic Fights and a Final Verdict

FREDDY:
One thing I got clear with Jam is that we're never going to understand a Japanese movie at 100% unless we learn Japanese or have a Japanese friend to explain some cultural and linguistic stuff. A LOT is lost in translation. To finish, I would like to mention the fighting scenes with Tetsuo (Nobuyuki Suzuki). Dude, the choreography was so gooooooooood! It was funny, it was stylish, brutal, and soooo BAD ASS! I loved it and every action fan will have a little tear of joy in the corner of his eye when watching it.
FREDDY:
This is that SABU movie that I would recommend to any type of moviegoer. It's a mature and creative piece of work, easy to follow and very entertaining.
KRASNAYA:
I agree with you, Freddie. The language firstly and the symbolism secondly. In this film, it seems to me, SABU describes life as a car without brakes, as a series of coincidences. You never know if death will bring a new turn or a head-on meeting with what you most desire. I definitely recommend this film. I am sure that almost everyone will feel a wide range of emotions. Master SABU skillfully worked on this cocktail.
Fighting scene Jam GIF
That throw! 😂 Watch the full fighting scene below.
FREDDY'S SCORE
85/100
KRASNAYA'S SCORE
85/100
TETSUO FIRST FIGHTING SCENE
INTRODUCTION TO HIROSHI
BEEPING END SCENE
Our blog is updated every day at 21:00 (WEST).
More from Cine It

Comedy List

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sentimental Value (2025)

Plot Summary: A film director wants to make a movie. His family has feelings about it. Two hours and thirteen minutes pass. Acclaimed by everyone except me. Norwegian Title: Affeksjonsverdi Director: Joachim Trier Writers: Eskil Vogt, Joachim Trier Producers: Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar Cinematography: Kasper Tuxen Editing: Olivier Bugge Coutté Music: Hania Rani Starring: Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg Pettersen Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob Jesper Christensen as Michael   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ A Universally Acclaimed Snoozefest Today I bring you the movie... let me check my notes again. Ah, right: Sentimental Value. What a boooooring movie. That's it, thank you for reading. But seriously, le...

The Score (2001)

Plot Summary: Nick Wells, a veteran safe-cracker ready to retire and settle with his girlfriend Diane, is pulled into one last heist by his fence Max. Partnered with ambitious thief Jack Teller, they aim to steal a priceless French scepter from the Montreal Customs House, facing tension, trust issues, and betrayal. Director: Frank Oz Producers: Gary Foster, Lee Rich Screenplay: Kario Salem (story and screenplay), Daniel E. Taylor (story), Lem Dobbs, Scott Marshall Smith Starring: Robert De Niro as  Nick Wells Edward Norton as Jack Teller/Brian Marlon Brando as Max,  Angela Bassett as Diane   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Heist Worth the Hype Finally got around to continuing my Frank Oz film journey, and tonight’s pick was The Score. A two-hour-and-forty-minute heist flick that I had been saving for when I had some serious sp...

The Celebration (1998)

Plot Summary: A wealthy Danish patriarch gathers his family at his remote country hotel to celebrate his 60th birthday. His eldest son, Christian, uses the celebratory toast to drop a bomb: a public accusation of childhood sexual abuse. The family proceeds to completely implode. Danish Title: Festen Director: Thomas Vinterberg (uncredited, per the rules of Dogme 95) Writers: Thomas Vinterberg, Mogens Rukov Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle Editing: Valdís Óskarsdóttir Music: Lars Bo Jensen Starring: Ulrich Thomsen as Christian Klingenfeldt-Hansen Henning Moritzen as Helge, Christian's father Thomas Bo Larsen as Michael, Christian's brother Paprika Steen as Helene, Christian's sister Birthe Neumann as Else, Christian's mother Trine Dyrholm as Pia, the waiter close to Christian   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ A 9...

The Idiots (1998)

Plot Summary: A group of able-bodied adults living in a commune on the outskirts of Copenhagen spend their days pretending to be mentally disabled in public, a practice they call "spazzing." When a quiet, reserved woman named Karen wanders into their world, the group's provocations begin to unravel into something far more raw and devastating. Danish Title: Idioterne Director: Lars von Trier (uncredited; under Dogme 95 rules) Writer: Lars von Trier Producer: Vibeke Windeløv Starring: Bodil Jørgensen as Karen Jens Albinus as Stoffer Anne Louise Hassing as Susanne Troels Lyby as Henrik Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Jeppe Louise Mieritz as Josephine Henrik Prip as Ped   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ Diving into the Dogma (and the Depravity) Hello dear reader! Today I found some time to write a review on last night's movie, The Idiots (1998...

CJ7 (2008)

Plot Summary: A poor construction worker and his young son struggle to make ends meet in a cramped, crumbling house. When the boy discovers a mysterious alien creature from a trash heap, he names it CJ7 and hopes it will grant him superpowers, instead he gets a poop machine gun and a broken heart. Chinese Title: 長江7號 (Cháng Jiāng 7 Hào) Director: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Vincent Kok, Tsang Kan-Cheong, Sandy Shaw Lai-King, Fung Chi-Keung, Lam Fung Producers: Stephen Chow, Han Sanping, Po-Chu Chui Cinematography: Poon Hang-Sang Music: Raymond Wong Ying-Wah Starring: Stephen Chow as Ti Xu Jiao as Dicky Zhang Yuqi as Ms. Yuen Lam Chi-chung as Ti's Construction Boss Jiro Lee as Mr. Cao   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ A Traumatic Trip Down Memory Lane I only have two more Stephen Chow movies left to watch to complete h...

From Beijing With Love (1994)

Plot Summary: A bumbling, small-town pork butcher is secretly Agent Ling-ling-chat, China's answer to 007. Sent to recover a stolen dinosaur skull, he's armed with gadgets that do the wrong job, a partner who wants him dead, and a total absence of anything resembling competence. Carnage and absurdity ensue. Chinese Title: 國產凌凌漆 (Guóchǎn Línglíngqī) Directors: Stephen Chow, Lee Lik-chi Writers: Stephen Chow, Roman Cheung / Vincent Kok, Lee Lik-chi Producers: Charles Heung, Jimmy Heung Music: William Hu Starring: Stephen Chow as Ling-ling-chat Anita Yuen as Lee Heung-kam Law Kar-ying as Tat Man-sai Wong Kam-kong as Golden Gun Pauline Chan as Mystery Woman Lee Lik-chi as Executed Martial Arts Master   ⚠️ SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ 007, Campiness, and The Shoe That Is A Hairdryer Today I'm continuing my exploration of Stephen...