The Foreign Duck, the Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker (2007)

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The Foreign Duck, the Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker is an interesting existential tale from Japanese director Yoshihiro Nakamura that unites some oddball characters in a moving and funny adventure set to a soundtrack by Bob Dylan.
The film opens with what appears to be a straight forward bookshop robbery but then starts jumping around backwards and forwards in time, delivering a non-linear narrative. This technique is sure to annoy some viewers whilst others will enjoy its quirky charm.
Nakamura’s decision to use more than one actor in the same role is a brave one and whilst it sometimes works well, here it is unfortunately more than a little confusing as to who is actually who. It doesn’t harm the film too much but it could have been a just a touch more explicit.
The characters are well acted and certainly endearing. The performances on display show just the right balance of comedy and drama to make the film touching and funny in equal measure. Everyone who has been through university will find something to relate to in at least one of the characters here.
Visually the film is well shot and there is a nice juxtaposition between colour and black and white footage as the film flashes forwards and backwards. Be warned though, there are some fairly extreme scenes of animal cruelty on display. Whilst it goes without saying that no actual animals were actually harmed, the scenes are pretty hard to stomach. This however adds to their impact and gives the film an edge it might have otherwise been lacking.
It’s difficult to not give too much away but overall it’s not an easy film to crack at first. Those who stick with it will ultimately find this touching emotional story well worth the effort and will be pleasantly surprised by the emotional punch packed into the film’s ending.
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