How Long Is “Rainy Dog”?

Takashi Miike directs this brooding, hard-boiled gangster drama set in monsoon-soaked Taiwan. Yuji (played by Miike regular Sho Aikawa) ekes out an existence working as a Japanese hit man for a gang in Taipei. A laconic character with a lizard-like gaze, he seems to have little use for other people -- even for his unbalanced godfather who calls him his son. All he is interested in is the money. His life takes a sudden change when a former lover appears at his doorstep, drops off a boy (He Jianxian) she claims is his, and beats a hasty retreat. With the child in tow, Yuji carries out his business -- shooting a mobster from a rival gang as he eats dinner with his family. After receiving his fee, he takes home a comely young hooker named Lily (Chen Xianmei). While they are getting to know one another, the boy sleeps on a piece of cardboard in the rain, snuggling up to a stray dog. Amused at the kid's tenacity, Yuji eventually throws the boy a towel. Later, Yuji stumbles upon a briefcase full of money while taking out a rival godfather. With the cash in hand, he plots to take Lily and the boy someplace better. In the meantime, the trio flees to an isolated beach in central Taiwan, hoping to escape the bloodthirsty gangster on their tail. Waiting for the interminable rain to cease, they hold up in a World War II-era pillbox. Something resembling family develops between the three. When the rain stops, they are forced to continue their escape.