Masahiro Motoki plays Wada, a company representative on a business trip to a remote area of China where a potential jade mine has been found. Unreachable by road or train, Wada has to take to foot and raft to reach his goal. He is accompanied by Shen, his guide (wonderfully animated by Mako), and Ujiie a rather obnoxious member of the Yakuza. Ujiie’s gang is owed money by Wada’s company and he joins the expedition to find out whether the debts can be repaid from the proceeds of the jade. He spends much of the journey bullying Wada.

Each of the men have been convicted of violent crimes but it’s hard not to feel sympathy towards them as character traits are developed during the film. Behind each murderous crime is a sorrowful tale full of regret such as Torakichi’s (Yoshio Harada) lost relationship with his daughter or Shiratori who fell in love with the girl to whom he donated a kidney. These individual stories allow for some touching moments.

Despite so many leading characters Toyoda is careful to give each one enough time to develop their personalities and the relationships within the group are also explored. This could only be done so effectively with strong actors able to handle the various emotional states required by the plot. On that note the cast are more than capable.

As the film progresses, the sometimes insane comedy gives way to more serious drama and finally some blood-splattered violence. This is really a film that takes the viewer through the entire emotional spectrum and although the closing tones may be quite dark, the overall impression is highly enjoyable.

Admittedly, the idea of following around 9 escaped convicts doesn't seem that appealing. If this had been an American film I'm sure that at least one of them would have been innocent, but the men we're following have actually committed their crimes (murder, dealing, counterfeiting) and are dutifully serving their time. We're introduced to these 9 convicts through the eyes of Michiru, a young man who is just beginning his sentence for the murder of his father. The other felon is the de-facto leader of the group, Torakichi, has been imprisoned for the murder of his son. Possibly due to their crimes, Michiru and Torakichi equally attract and repel each other, as though seeing their victim in the other and looking for a connection, and possibly redemption.

Shortly after Michiru's arrival, a fellow prisoner known as the Counterfeit King confides that he has hidden the "key to the Universe" before going completely mad and being removed from the cell. A dwarf, Dr. Shiratori (Mame Yamada), who assisted people with committing suicide, refers to himself as an Escape Artist, and true to his nature, he is able to find a route out of the prison. Upon escaping, all 9 convicts are in for the quest to find the King's "key", which many feel could only be the vast fortune in counterfeit bills he left behind.

The prisoners crimes range from minor (Drug Dealer, Pornographer) to major (Murder) and the subject of these felonies is handled rather humorously, since it seems that they determine the pecking order for the group. After a quick decision by Torakichi that has the 9 disguise themselves as a traveling band of Shaolin Monks, they are able to jack a dilapidated RV from an unsuspecting motorist. Since 9 Souls is as much about the mental journey as it is the physical, the Logo and name on the side ("Lucky Hole") provides a foreshadowing element to the latter part of the story.

Don't get me wrong, the physical journey is a lot of fun, too. There are several nice set pieces that Toyada provides to flesh out our group of 9. Immediately after getting their wheels, Torakichi looks up an old "friend" whose new bride is none too happy about these uninvited guests and threatens to return to the Philippines. A pit stop near a grazing pasture provides some cons a chance to relieve their pent up tension with a sheep. Even eating on the run is a hassle, as the escapees enjoy a meal out disguised as women, only to find they are short a few yen. The comedy in these scenes is heightened by the character's situations and while there are plenty of laughs, they aren't at the character's expense, making the second half of the film even more powerful.

It's this second half of the film that truly shows Toyada's greatness, after all, what's an escape movie without some consequences? Everything in 9 Souls after the discovery of the Time Capsule deals with the dissolution of the group and how they try to return to their previous lives with often unexpected and heartbreaking results. Granted, the rapid pace of the film combined with the size of the cast means that some of the characters get shortchanged in the back-story department, but even so, the results of each of these intimate, personal stories is amazing and well worth the journey.

Of special note is the amazing Soundtrack that Toyada has out together for 9 Souls. The Original Instrumental Rock Score is completely integrated into the film, somehow remaining atmospheric, while still impacting on the viewer (certain instances continue to give me goose bumps just thinking about them…). I can't think of another example of a recent Soundtrack that has so enthralled me with its sweep and scope. The only lyrical track is the theme song by the band dip, which runs over the end credits. Toyada is a highly gifted filmmaker who further enhances his visual storytelling with a Score just as evocative and powerful.

Conclusion: 9 Souls is a winner! While not everything Toyada tries in the film works, the sheer audacity of the project and the feelings he drags out of the viewer are testaments to his talent. While this film certainly isn't for everyone, it will still sadly fail to reach a wide appreciative audience. Still, those that do see it are bound to be affected and will hopefully mention it to a friend. With only four films to his credit, and just one other available in the US ("Blue Spring"), Toyada seems to be hitting his stride and is a rising star to watch in the future.

Review: Surely many of us have had the pleasure of viewing a Toshiaki Toyoda film, most likely BLUE SPRING (Aoi Haru), and after reading many different thoughts and opinions, I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us have been more than happy with his work. Sure Toyoda is still young, but that’s just it. He has that special ability to connect with much of the younger generation -- whether you are Japanese or not. There is definitely an overall sense of growth and maturity since his last effort, so imagine how much this will increase in the upcoming years.

In 9 SOULS, we follow a group of nine escapees who try to re-claim there own sense of freedom. Each of the men have been jailed for a different crime, whether it be murder, drugs, underage sex or general misdeeds. But these guys are simply not meant for the outside world, and once they are out, they end up getting into all kinds of bad situations that sometimes have even worse repercussions. After viewing the film, I get the feeling that Toyoda is an existentialist. In his films he tends to give off that notion, so if he is, then that would surely explain a lot because the overall theme of the film is similar to that of BLUE SPRING and PORNOSTAR -- one being full of the individual’s plight towards ownership of actions in a world in which the threshold between good and bad is blurred.

While initially, 9 SOULS feels lighter, it is only in the first half of the film that we are treated to a more comedic approach. This was somewhat of a new twist on things for our young director, but it worked out quite well because of how much it aided the difficult, yet vital, character development. We come to understand the intricacies of each individual’s psychology through the scenes of comedy. (Obviously one can’t go too in-depth seeing as there are nine central characters and the film is less than two hours long.) Once you reach the second half though, things change. Sunny skies transition into sudden storms, ominously foreshadowing things to come. The comedic approach is gone, and all we are left with is pure and powerful, raw emotion. It isn’t until then that we realize how much we have been affected by each of the characters as we see these terrible things begin to unfold. Because of this it is important to note that this film gets better with repeat viewings.

The cast is a phenomenal team whose chemistry simply cannot be matched. Everyone from the great seasoned Yoshio Harada (ONIBI, HUNTER IN THE DARK) and Akaji Maro (THE MOST TERRIBLE TIME IN MY LIFE, KIKUJIRO and father of ICHI THE KILLER’s Nao Omori) to the younger, but equally amazing, Koji Chihara (PORNOSTAR, YOUNG THUGS: INNOCENT BLOOD) and Ryuhei Matsuda (BLUE SPRING, GOHATTO) offered excellent and memorable performances. Each of the other actors offered so much to the overall feel of the story, so it is difficult to imagine this film being made any better with different actors thanks to Toyoda’s talented direction. Even the not so well known stars were successfully molded into their respected characters with the utmost believability. A prime example of that would have to be Mame Yamada (who is actually a magician) and the large amount of heart he displayed with his character, Shiratori, the master escapist -- definitely the most memorable of the film.

9 SOULS was Toyoda’s chance to work with many of his actors for a second time. He had used Koji Chihara, Kee and Akaji Maro in PORNOSTAR and Ryuhei Matsuda and Mame Yamada in BLUE SPRING. The only actor who has worked in more than one film with him previously is Onimaru.

As with Toyoda’s previous work, the music was part of what made the whole film so memorable. And no, we do not have Thee Michelle Gun Elephant this time, but I assure you that you will be just as pleased. On the more technical side, Junichi Fujisawa’s cinematography was beautifully proportioned and thought out, and Mototaka Kusakabe’s editing was as fluid as it gets. Everything was right on the money and it’s because of all these contributions that 9 SOULS worked out as well as it did.

Inspiring to say the least, it is a movie like this that retains the ability to rekindle and accentuate one’s love for cinema. Rarely do we get the chance to truly bask in a somber film and all of its existentialities. Thank god somebody has the balls to make one like this.