Sion Sono is a self-confessed chameleon, who can switch effortlessly from the laugh-a-minute black comedy of 2008's "Ai no Mukidashi (Love Exposure)" to the heartfelt medical melodrama of 2009's "Chanto Tsutaeru (Be Sure to Share)" and the splatter shock of his latest, "Tsumetai Nettaigyo (Cold Fish)."
Still, there are connecting threads between these films, including a dark sense of humor, a rather grim view of the human situation and a take on Christianity, from its doctrines to its symbolism, that mixes cheeky blasphemy with curiosity and even admiration. ("If there were a Jesus fan club," Sono once told me, "I'd like to join it.")
Sono has a tendency to pile on and run on — and "Cold Fish" is the long-winded rule rather than the pointed exception. Also evident, though, is his talent for strong characterizations and moments that have the force of conviction, however twisted and deviant.