HiGH&LOW: The Red Rain (2016)

Trois frères, des combats puissants et des bécanes…

High&Low: The Red Rain s'intéresse aux frères Amamiya. Leur amour fraternel, poignant et sans faille, devient le cœur du film. Une intégration réussie à l'univers High&Low avec émotion et sa propre identité.

Les frères Amamiya sont trois : Takeru (Saito Takumi), Masaki (Takahiro) et Hiroto (Tosaka Hiroomi). Après la disparition de Takeru, les deux frères enfourchent leurs bécanes et partent à sa recherche. Le film explore le passé des frères, tout en s'intégrant intelligemment autour de la franchise. Masaki et Hiroto sont des têtes connues depuis la première saison. Les retrouver s'avère agréable, d'autant plus que leur histoire est entraînante.

Les trois acteurs sont incroyables ! Tant dans les scènes familiales que d'action. Le rôle de grand frère de Takeru s'incruste parfaitement, créant une dynamique magnifique et chargée d'émotion. Aucune pièce rapportée, aucun drame surprise. C'est un amour fraternel rarement aussi bien porté à l'écran.

Bien évidemment, les scènes de combats sont spectaculaires (et les scènes d'action en général). Le film est généreux, offrant des affrontements stylés et bien filmés. De plus, les trois acteurs ont ce côté badasse qui rend les choses encore meilleures. Quant à la bande son, elle reste fidèle en étant tout aussi incroyable que le reste.

En bref, High&Low: The Red Rain jongle habilement entre l'humour, l'émotion et des combats percutants, le tout avec une bande-son explosive et un trio d'acteurs remarquables.

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I'm glad that I watched High&Low S1&2 and High&Low: The Movie first because this wouldn't have made much sense to me otherwise. I loved that this movie went sideways within the franchise and that it expanded on the "universe" in which High&Low takes place because it allowed me personally to understand the geopolitical situation, so to speak.

I also loved that it expanded on the Amamiya brothers. I adored the reveal that Hiroto isn't actually blood related to Masaki or Takeru but that it doesn't matter to them at all, just like it didn't to their parents. Their family background, what happened to their parents - ouch!

It was sad that Takeru died in the end but I think that once he picked up a gun and started killing people, there was basically no way back for him without some kind of a punishment or penance because this whole franchise is founded on the idea of not killing, that this is the one boundary the "good ones" - gang members they might be - don't cross. You knock each other's teeth out but once you bring a knife or a gun to a fight, you're done, you're out.

Also, I loved that Takeru died not while taking revenge but protecting Hiroto, that thanks to his brothers and to Hiroto in particular Takeru found back before his death, that he remember what he taught them.

The moment I sniffled? When Hiroto took the girl in his arms and said the same words to her like Takeru before: I'm your wall.

Oh, I also adored the short moments when Hiroto and Masaki had to go back to S.W.O.R.D. and not just there but to Sannoh in particular! Masaki's annoyance, Yamato's annoyance, Cobra's eye-rolling - yup, they so rub each other wrong. They're allies, though reluctant, but gosh, do they rub each other wrong!

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