2.5/5 stars
Following the success of Nippon TV’s hit 2017 television series, Caution, Hazardous Wife spins off into a full-blown feature film, with star Haruka Ayase reprising her role as Nami, a former government assassin struggling to leave her violent past behind and enjoy a quiet suburban life with husband Yuki (Hidetoshi Nishijima).
The show ended with the shocking revelation that Yuki was not a mild-mannered businessman, but a Public Security Bureau agent assigned to surveil his potentially deadly bride. But as Toya Sato’s big screen adventure begins, an attempt is made on Nami’s life that leaves her with amnesia, presenting Yuki and the PSB a clean slate to contain their wayward asset.
While the marketing suggests an action thriller of feuding married agents reminiscent of the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie vehicle Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Caution, Hazardous Wife is closer to Shane Black’s The Long Kiss Goodnight, in which Geena Davis plays a trained killer who has lost her memory and settled down.
What sets this film apart is that those close to Nami know her secret, and are actively trying to prevent her from remembering her past. Inevitably, violent memories plague Nami’s dreams and it is only a matter of time before the truth comes out.
The couple decamps to the sleepy seaside town of Tamami, where Yuki poses as a teacher and Nami – now known as Kumi – is ensconced as the housewife she’s always dreamed of becoming. In a smart call back to the TV show, she is now an accomplished cook who can chop vegetables like a pro – something she was unable to master in her former life.
Yuki, meanwhile, is ordered to investigate the disappearance of an eminent scientist, and soon uncovers a plot to open a methane research facility that will destroy the town’s natural marine life. Tamami erupts in clashes between special interest groups, environmental activists, paid-off police and disruptive yakuza, while a pivotal mayoral race plays out simultaneously – any one of which could trigger Nami back into action.
Ayase is so eminently watchable that the film almost goes the same way as its heroine, sustaining itself with frequent trips to the market, minor triumphs in the kitchen, and a burgeoning friendship with Kenshi Okada’s mysterious cafe proprietor … and forgetting it’s a gung-ho spy thriller.
When the action does finally materialise, Nami dons figure-hugging black leather for a gratifying showdown with a literal boatload of villains. But casual viewers take caution: this big-screen wife is only intermittently hazardous.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook
