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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Felix no meitantei remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
So, you thinking about dusting off Felix no meitantei? Look, if you’re into those older, kinda creaky detective flicks, the ones that feel like a Sunday afternoon spent digging through a dusty box of forgotten treasures, then yeah, maybe give it a spin. This isn't for folks expecting sleek, modern thrills. If you hate movies where the 'mystery' is just people walking around a lot and frowning, you'll probably bounce right off this one. It's a particular taste. 🕵️
Shigeji Ogino, as our titular detective Felix, is… well, he’s *there*. His performance is mostly a series of intense stares and thoughtful pauses. Sometimes those pauses feel incredibly long, like the director just forgot to yell 'cut.' There’s a scene where he’s looking at a half-eaten sandwich for what feels like a solid minute, and you just know he’s trying to deduce something profound about the bread choice. It's oddly compelling, or maybe just awkward.
The plot itself is a bit like trying to catch smoke. Someone’s prize-winning cat, Mr. Whiskerton, has vanished. Felix is on the case. It never really escalates beyond that, which is almost refreshing. No global conspiracies, no ticking bombs. Just a missing cat and Felix’s very serious face.
One thing that kept catching my eye was the lighting in some of the interior shots. It’s often just a single, harsh bulb somewhere off-screen, casting these really deep shadows. It makes everything feel a bit grimier than it probably needs to be, but also gives it a certain stark, film-noir-lite vibe. Especially when Felix is lurking in a doorway, half-hidden. Very cool, in its own way.
There's this one character, a nervous old lady who keeps popping up to offer Felix tea and unsolicited advice. She’s delightful. Her lines are always delivered with this frantic energy, almost like she’s about to burst. She provides a much-needed burst of personality amidst all the quiet contemplation.
The pacing is… deliberate. If you’re used to quick cuts and snappy dialogue, you’ll be checking your watch. Felix often takes his sweet time getting anywhere. There's a sequence where he walks from one end of a street to the other, and the camera just follows him. No cuts, no music, just the rhythmic *thud-thud-thud* of his shoes. You really get a sense of the pavement.
And the ending? Oh boy. It doesn't exactly tie everything up neatly. Felix eventually finds Mr. Whiskerton, chilling out in a neighbor’s shed. The 'mystery' was barely a mystery. But the film acts like he’s just solved the Sphinx’s riddle. Ogino's expression of triumph is priceless; it’s like he genuinely believes he's done something monumental. It’s almost a parody, but I don't think it means to be. Which makes it even funnier. 😂
There's a scene near the middle, where Felix tries to interrogate a grumpy shopkeeper. The shopkeeper just glares. Felix glares back. This goes on for quite a while. It’s a battle of wills, or maybe just a staring contest. It reminds me a bit of the awkward silences you get in The Last Dance, only with more dust.
I wouldn't call this a 'great' movie in the usual sense. It's got its flaws, sure. The sound design is pretty basic, sometimes voices sound like they're coming from another room. And that one bit of talking, where they tried to explain the whole thing, just kinda... stopped dead. Like the actors forgot what was next. But it’s got a certain charm, a raw, unfiltered quality that you don’t see much anymore. It's a peek into a different kind of filmmaking, one that didn't always have all the answers. Sometimes, that's enough.
IMDb 5.4
1923
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