X-Japan - 'We are X' (Movie)

Cinema Film Review

*****

The beautiful curse of X

'We are X' the most inspiring film about a band that should be the most famous in the World, but isn't... at least not yet. It is the story of X-Japan through the eyes of Yoshiki who founded X with his childhood friend Toshi. Yoshiki is a musical genius. He is the leader, drummer, pianist and main song writer for X, as well as having a very successful career as a Classical solo pianist. Add to the list record producer, fashion designer, composer, entrepreneur, even has his own Yoshikitty (Hello Kitty).... and you can eat that Kayne West.

Yoshiki (X-Japan) (Pictured Above) : UK - London, Leicester Square Premiere 2017

In actual fact I have no particular dislike of Kayne West, only by contrast it is astounding that an artist of Yoshiki's talent is still so obscure in the West when he should be in the league of global musical legends. Let's hope the movie changes this. The film is really a vehicle for Yoshiki's own catharsis. It is almost like getting to dip into Yoshiki's personal diary. In some moments the movie plays out like a video blog reviewing the rollercoaster highs, tragic lows and bizarre de-railing of the band, by a cult "Home of the Heart", who brainwashed X-Japan's lead singer Toshi.

Yoshiki himself is engaged in a constant battle against his own body. He endures persistent pain from ligament damage and fights for breath during live performances as asthma's grip tightens on him. The steroids injected into him before performances are not enough to counter the intensity and frenetic power of his drumming. At a preview showing for UK press he said "Making the movie was a kind of therapy for him, but also for his fans".

Yoshiki (X-Japan) (Pictured Above) : UK - London, Leicester Square Premiere 2017

In fact you don't have to be a fan to be affected by it. It is about universal themes. It is about what it means to be human, to suffer as a human, to be fragile yet incredibly strong. It is about experiencing so many tragedies and having so many obstacles put in your way, and finding a way to transcend that. This could all sound quite gloomy, but it is the opposite.

Yoshiki (X-Japan) and Stephen Kijak (Director) (Pictured Above) : UK - London, Leicester Square Premiere 2017

It is a living tragedy in the theatrical Greek sense transformed into triumph. Bearing witness to that transformation is a beautiful art form in itself. The story of the band is art and as important as the bands music and it's cultural influence on Japanese music. Yoshiki shows us that the true purpose of pain and suffering is to sculpt us all into our own hero and life at it's low points is worth enduring.

Our mascot Ray Wolfston loved the film!!! Ray (Pictured Above)

For me this film is simply perfection and one you won't want to miss, this will go down in history as one of the best ever music related documentary films. So this is one I will buy the minute it comes out, and I would even go and see it at the cinema again.