Skip to main content

Jam (2018)


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***

F: 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.

K: 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.
F: 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 (ShΓ΄ 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!

K: 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!
F: 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.

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.

K: 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! πŸ˜‚ Watch the full fighting scene below.
Freddy's Score: 85/100
Krasnaya's Score: 85/100

FINAL SCORE

TETSUO FIRST FIGHTING SCENE

INTRODUCTION TO HIROSHI

BEEPING END SCENE

Our blog is update everyday at 21:00 (WEST)

Comments

🎬 Join the CineIt Movie Club!

Get exclusive reviews and recommendations delivered straight to your inbox. Never miss a great movie again!

Popular posts from this blog

Kpop Demon Hunters (2025)

Plot Summary: Three talented young K-pop trainees discover they have supernatural abilities to battle ancient demons lurking in modern-day Korea. They must balance their demanding training for a much-anticipated debut with their secret mission to protect the world. Directors: Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Screenplay: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans Producer: Michelle Wong Music: Marcelo Zarvos Starring: Arden Cho as Rumi May Hong as Mira Ji-young Yoo as Zoey Ahn Hyo-seop as Jinu Yunjin Kim as Celine Ken Jeong as Bobby Lee Byung-hun as Gwi-Ma   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Peer Pressure & Pleasant Surprises My daughter came home from school the other day looking like she'd been left out of the cool kids' club because she was the only one who hadn't seen Kpop Demon Hunters. I knew right then my Satur...

La Mante (2017)

Plot Summary: Twenty-five years after being imprisoned, Jeanne Deber, a notorious serial killer known as "The Mantis," offers to help the police catch a copycat killer, but only if she can work with her estranged son, who is now a police officer. Director: Alexandre Laurent Writers: Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Nicolas Jean, GrΓ©goire Demaison, Laurent Vivier Music: FranΓ§ois Lietout Starring: Carole Bouquet as Jeanne Deber / The Mantis Fred Testot as Damien Carrot Jaques Weber as Charles Carrot Pascal Demolon as Dominique Feracci Manon Azem as Lucie Carrot Serge Riaboukine as Crozet Robinson Stevenin as Alex Crozet FredΓ©rique Bel as Virginie Delorme Jump to the Plot Explained Section   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Boring, Wannabe Hannibal Lecter This is officially the first TV series review I'm doing here at Cine It. I'm no...

Shaolin Soccer (2001)

Plot Summary: A former Shaolin monk reunites his scattered brothers to form a soccer team, combining their extraordinary martial arts skills with the sport to compete for a major tournament and restore the dignity and reputation of Shaolin kung fu in the modern world. Director: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Tsang Kan-cheung Producer: Yeung Kwok-Fai Cinematography: Kwen Pak-Huen, Kwong Ting-wo Editor: Kai Kit-Wai Music: Lowell Lo, Raymond Wong Starring: Stephen Chow as Mighty Steel Leg Sing Zhao Wei as Mui Ng Man-tat as Golden Leg Fung Patrick Tse as Hung Wong Yat-fei as Iron Head Tin Kai-man as Iron Shirt Danny Chan as Empty Hand   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Disconnect Gone Wrong The world seems to be going completely insane. Between the Charlie Kirk assassination and the subsequent censoring of p...

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Plot Summary: In 1940s Shanghai, a wannabe gangster named Sing aspires to join the notorious Axe Gang. His bungled attempt to extort the residents of Pig Sty Alley inadvertently leads to a gang war that gradually reveals surprising martial arts masters hiding among the slum's humble residents. Directors: Stephen Chow Writers: Stephen Chow, Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, Tsang Kan-cheung Story by: Stephen Chow Cinematography: Poon Hang-sang Edited by: Angie Lam Music by: Raymond Wong Starring: Stephen Chow as Sing Danny Chan as Brother Sum Yuen Qiu as Landlady Yuen Wah as Landlord Leung Siu-lung as Beast Xing Yu as Coolie Chiu Chi-ling as Tailor Dong Zhihua as Donut Lam Chi-chung as Bone Huang Shengyi as Fong Tin Kai-man as Adviser Gar Hong-hay and Fung Hak-on as Harpists Introduction: A ...

Frank Oz: From Worst to Best

I've finished my Frank Oz filmography a while back and hadn't had the time to post here the rank and some thoughts about his work. Let's try to refresh my memory and give you some of my opinions... man. Frank Oz is a true legend. At 81, he's not just a brilliant filmmaker but also a puppeteer and writer whose characters, from the Muppets to Sesame Street, have touched countless lives. His directing career is full of outstanding, entertaining movies; out of 14 films, there's really only one rotten apple in the bunch. I'm not sure if he's planning to make any more movies, but I'd love to see him try his hand at a serious drama, just to see him flex a different creative muscle. I wouldn't like to be that famous, I value my privacy. Mind you, Miss Piggy enjoys every moment of it. If it were not for me, she would spend all her time in the limelight. Frank OZ This is his entire fi...

Violation (2020)

Violation is a 2020 Canadian drama horror film directed and written by Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli. It is the feature film debut of the two directors, who have collaborated on several short films displayed at film festivals worldwide. The film stars Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Anna Maguire, Jesse LaVercombe, Obi Abili, Jasmin Geljo, and Cynthia Ashperger. The film premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It had its US premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on February 1, 2021 in the Midnight section. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violation_(film) A troubled woman on the edge of divorce returns home to her younger sister after years apart. But when her sister and brother-in-law betray her trust, she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge. source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12801814/ ***SPOILER ALERT*** F: Well, shit. If there are movies that I would like to unwatch, this is one of those. I felt violated...