Yukihiko Tsutsumi's 2LDK is a raucous black comedy that pits two roommates — both actresses vying for the same film role — against each other in a duel to the death. Shockingly brutal and always hilarious, this little gem of a film was my favorite entry in the 2003 Philadelphia Film Festival. I've been clamoring to see it again ever since, and luckily, I didn't have to drop forty-five bones on the import version, since TLA Releasing has just put out a domestic version with a much more reasonable price tag. The film is as gasp-inducing as ever and still provides a great viewing experience, though the DVD unfortunately leaves just a little something to be desired. (Note: the following synopsis and analysis are both lifted from my review of the original theatrical version.)

The term "2LDK" is a designation used to describe an apartment that contains 2 bedrooms, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen. (Just perform a Google search for "2LDK" and you'll find actual Japanese apartment listings instead of information concerning the film.) This relatively simple film takes place entirely within the confines of one set, the apartment itself. In addition, the film contains only two characters, roommates Lana (Maho Nonami) and Nozomi (Eiko Koike). Director Yukihiko Tsutsumi made 2LDK as part of a cinematic duel between himself and Ryuhei Kitamura, who responded with the film Aragami. While Kitamura's samurai film is an impressive step in the right direction for him, it is ultimately Tsutsumi's cat-fight comedy that wins out.

The film begins with cute small-town girl Nozomi returning home to the apartment from a long day at work. She is quickly joined by Lana, her glamourous big-city roommate. At first they seem like good friends and act very civilly towards each other, just like good roommates should. It is soon revealed, however, that they are both aspiring young actresses vying for the same lead role in an upcoming yakuza film. Determined to win the role, both Lana and Nozomi begin a campaign of psychological warfare in an attempt to unnerve the other. The jests start out tame and subtle as both Nozomi and Lana try to retain the upper hand.

The insanity escalates with each girl growing weary of the other's relatively innocuous character foibles, such as Nozomi's anally-retentive habit of labeling each food item in the refrigerator. From here the girls chastise each other for using certain possessions (like perfume or a hair dryer) without permission. Somewhere in the middle of all this petty squabbling we learn that both Nozomi and Lana are interested in the same guy, making their verbal daggers all the more pointed. Their exchanges continues to intensify until the girls have it out in an old-fashioned face-slapping catfight. If that makes you gasp, then hold on to your monocles for what happens next. The last half hour of the film is filled with almost non-stop violence as the roommates attempt to land the killing blow.

2LDK is one of the blackest comedies you could ever hope to see, driven by sharp writing and downright cruel punchlines. During its short seventy-minute running time, director Tsutsumi still finds time for deep characterization that enables the humor and violence to make much more of an emotional impact. The first half of the film is strictly concerned with establishing the traits, quirks, motives and backgrounds of both Lana and Nozomi; when Nozomi trashes Lana's beauty trophies, you know it's the most personal attack she can deliver. And indeed, these two characters are more developed and three-dimensional than any you will see at the local megaplex. The film contains a healthy dose of over-the-top violence that will have you howling, provided you're the type who finds humor in a woman spraying cleaning fluid into the open wounds of her roommate.

Casting is crucial to a film with only two characters, and luckily 2LDK nails it right on the head. Both Maho Nonami and Eiko Koike are fantastic in their roles as dueling roommates and are an absolute joy to watch. Their placid delivery of oh-so-cruel personal barbs, coupled with effective physical comedy, drive this film forward and keep it humorous even during ridiculous acts of violence. These lovely actresses are aided by a tight script that brings out the full spectrum of each character's personality. Early scenes depict Lana and Nozomi calmly paying one another a compliment, then immediately switching to an inner monologue that tells a stinging personal joke. It's a simple and effective way to establish both a civil outer facade and the true inner feelings of both girls. And it's extremely funny to boot.

2LDK is almost universally excellent, but watching it on this DVD is a bit of a mixed blessing. The picture exhibits a healthy amount of grain, especially in dark areas, though I'm not sure if this is due to the transfer or if it was present on the original print. The films' audio suffers as well; voices on the Dolby 2.0 track are weak and muffled, and the internal voiceovers are nearly unintelligible. 2LDK was never an audiovisual powerhouse, but it still manages to underwhelm a bit on TLA's package. It's nothing you can't live with, but the real kicker is the fact that the subtitles are not removable. They're burned onto the print, which not only means that you can't switch to another subtitle language, but the text itself is blurry and ends up being hard to read in places.

Extras are standard DVD fare and include a making-of featurette, theatrical trailer and a lecture given by directors Tsutsumi and Kitamura. The latter describes how the directors met and why they decided to undertake this "duel" project. It's informative, if a little dry. The making-of provides a standard behind-the-scenes glimpse at this remarkably short (8 days!) production. This is also moderately interesting, but the screen is often jam-packed with text (English and Japanese), making it extremely difficult to stay focused on the material. None of these extras are lacking per se, but if you're a huge fan of the movie like I am, then you'll likely find yourself wanting a little bit more from this package.

But as it stands, this is still a solid treatment of what is ultimately a fantastic movie. I can't compare it with the original Japanese DVD release, but at less than half the price, I think its foibles are very tolerable. The film itself has enough charm and character to make you forget all that anyway, and I recommend that you break it out at your next formal get-together. (Watch those monocles fly!) Though it is extremely violent, the carnage in 2LDK is so outrageous and over-the-top that it becomes a cartoon-ish parody that should elicit a chuckle from all but the most prudish of prudes. It should also serve as a pointed, if not entirely realistic, anecdote on contemporary roommate conflicts that will have sympathizers cheering.

2LDK is quite simply a fantastic film that should not be missed, so do yourself a favor and buy this DVD. Buy it, already! Sheesh!