Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
In this darkly comedic odyssey, Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Pacific Rim) stars as Kumiko, a frustrated office worker whose imagination transcends the confines of her mundane life.
Kumiko becomes obsessed with a mysterious, battered VHS tape of Fargo - which she has mistaken for a documentary - fixating on a scene where a suitcase of stolen cash is buried in the desolate, frozen landscape of North Dakota. Believing this treasure to be real, she leaves behind Tokyo and her beloved rabbit Bunzo to recover it - and finds herself on a dangerous adventure unlike anything she's seen in the movies.
Winner of a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and nominated for an Audience Award at SXSW Film Festival.
"The entrancing fifth feature of the Zellner brothers, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER, is like found art in the beguiling, haunting manner it combines the seemingly ridiculous and desperate with an ineffable and quiet sadness." - Patrick Z. McGavin, Chicago Sun-Times
Running Time
105 mins
Year
2014
Kanopy ID
2768106
Filmmakers
Features
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Comments (22)
Really incredible and beautiful picture. Great cinematography, Rinko is amazing as the lead, and the score is perfect. Makes for an overall worthwhile movie for me. As for its history, I recommend the Snap Judgement podcast episode on Takako Konishi called "Fargo," that goes in depth on the ...Read more
Really incredible and beautiful picture. Great cinematography, Rinko is amazing as the lead, and the score is perfect. Makes for an overall worthwhile movie for me. As for its history, I recommend the Snap Judgement podcast episode on Takako Konishi called "Fargo," that goes in depth on the story this was based on. A great human story.
Read lessA really bad Zellner's approach. it depicts not only a naive and credulous Japanese girl but also a pollyanna unable to distinguish a movie from reality, Not to mention the negative connotation of depictIng supremacy of one culture over another, come on! This is a movie for people feeling ...Read more
A really bad Zellner's approach. it depicts not only a naive and credulous Japanese girl but also a pollyanna unable to distinguish a movie from reality, Not to mention the negative connotation of depictIng supremacy of one culture over another, come on! This is a movie for people feeling good to make them feel frustrated and depressed. No more Zellner's movies.
Read lessAre all the moview on kanopy depressing like this...?
I cannot bring myself to finish this. This lady is too depressing.
Slow, almost meditative, beautiful cinematography and cultural critique.
Beautiful cinematography but not enjoyable
Great photography, distinct characters well acted. I enjoyed.
Such a beautifully shot but sad story. Kumiko is such a sympathetic & relatable character, it's compelling to go on this journey with her.
A film I'm still thinking about two days later. A rare piece of abstract art, leaning more towards human Art than abstract, if we can lend this character a sense of compassion. It is a kind of poem of what it means to dream, to have a dream. The people who happen upon her life are banal if ...Read more
A film I'm still thinking about two days later. A rare piece of abstract art, leaning more towards human Art than abstract, if we can lend this character a sense of compassion. It is a kind of poem of what it means to dream, to have a dream. The people who happen upon her life are banal if not annoying. Kumiko, herself, is awkward and neurotic, but there's something in there. She sees the kindness of one particular character in the film. There's a smile, which has more to do with the meaning of dream itself, than the matter of the dream. I also found the inclusion of "Fargo," (the occasional glimpses of Steve Buscemi) perfectly abstract and perfectly preposterous. It's an art film not fed to us on a spoon.
Read lessLoved this movie. I really felt for Kumiko. Beautiful cinematography. Beautiful ending.
Synopsis: The day she was born she was given a life sentence. After 29 years of knowing nothing but prison she went mad and retreated into a fantasy world, one which led her to undertake a suicidal expedition. Fortunately or unfortunately, she died in a state of ecstatic delerium.
Wish I'd seen your comment before watching this. Would have saved me about 2 hours...
American is so nice for help the others. Excellent movie.
This is one of the most ridiculous movies I have ever seen.
you got it right!
Fantastic.
I really liked this movie! The cinematography was beautiful, the editing right on and Rinko Kikuchi perfect for the part.
Near the beginning, the sun rises and the music by The Octopus Project reminds me very much of the music in “2001, A Space Odyssey,” as Bowman travels across vast ...Read more
I really liked this movie! The cinematography was beautiful, the editing right on and Rinko Kikuchi perfect for the part.
Read lessNear the beginning, the sun rises and the music by The Octopus Project reminds me very much of the music in “2001, A Space Odyssey,” as Bowman travels across vast distances of space, viewing strange landscapes and ends up finding himself still in his pod in a bedroom and is eventually transformed into a fetus that floats in space. Cumin has traveled through strange landscapes on her odyssey, and in the end, we see Kumiko resurrected from her pile of snow and ending up walking into the distance with her new found treasure.
Also having just off viewing “Angel at My Table” again, I find Janet Frame and Kumiko have certain things in common. Both loners, shy, keeping to themselves, with one thought that helps them keep their minds. Janet Frame, her writing, Kumiko, her treasure. So, I’m mixing a little fact and fantasy here.
Although this movie by the Zellner brothers has a Cohen brothers flavor to it, it also has a David Lynch flavor for me.
I happy to see Bunzo got credit for playing Bunzo the Rabbit.
Darkly comedic? I'd say, darkly depressing. Sorry I watched.
An essay in bathos. Kinda awful.
It got me hooked from the start.
Great
legit