Story-wise, this is not the kind with breathtaking twists and turns, rather calm and steadily paced. I have high hopes since it's based on Higashino Keigo's work. If you are a fan of Higashino Keigo, you will understand that this is simply not at the level of Suspect X (from Galileo series), Sleeping Forest and The Crimes that Bind (from Shinzanmono series). You could argue that those movies have stronger plots since they have their own specialized novels and dramas but I expected more since such great assembly of talents do not come up often in the Japanese movies.
An entertaining movie, but not the one that would give you lingering thoughts after watching it.
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CHARACTERS/ACTING: Characters and cast were great, I don't have anything negative to say about it. Chemistry between the lead characters were imo, realistically palpable. You can tell there's admiration but due to circumstances their duties to their profession naturally made them forces at odds with one another.
MUSIC: The ost was really good! Definitely played into the vibes of a masquerade ball. Very mysterious, grand, and thrilling.
PRODUCTION: 10/10 would recommend. Beautiful cinematography...Beautiful hotel. I actually thought it was a real hotel at one point and googled it up lol. It definitely reminded me of The Grand Budapest Hotel and Wes Anderson's obsession with symmetry.
OVERALL: I'm still processing whether I actually liked the film or not... just cause I'm a big whodunnit fan and the story was spoon-fed to me... And also during reveal, they did not go into detail of the killer's... (trying very hard not to spoil) accomplices... I did however enjoy the comparison of a masquerade ball and what was described as a "first-class" hotel. Especially when the female lead expresses that their jobs are to "imagine the guests' true faces", but should never think of peeling off those masks. That particularly, was very interesting. Because of that, and the feast-for-the-eyes that is this film, I'd say that I'd give it try if you're bored.
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Police turning into a Front Desk Clerk?
Wouldn't you like to know what would happen if you were suddenly forced to become a front desk clerk in order to catch a criminal? Well, this is the movie for you.Masquerade Hotel is a thriller investigation mystery movie. In regards to this movie plot-wise it's okay. Nothing too dramatic when it comes to plot twists. There are some parts of the plot they could have elaborated more on though. When it comes down to who's the murderer well if you have good eyes it's pretty easy to spot. Everyone is at the hotel is at a masquerade after all. {8.0}
Well, what else can I say except Kimura Takuya is back in another action-packed film? The cast is filled with familiar faces such as Kimura Takuya, Nagasawa Masami, Kohinata Fumiyo, and more. Don't you just love it when you can feel the chemistry between a cast? This cast and the setting really made me feel like I was back on vacation at a hotel again. Especially Nagasawa with her prim and proper front desk clerk acting. {9.0}
With all the instrumental music it certainly does build up the suspense. Although it's unnecessary in some scenes. {8.5}
Would I rewatch this? Yeah sure but I'll probably pay attention to more of the smaller details next time. {8.5}
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An entertaining watch
A well made movie!! I watched because it promised an Agatha Christie-esq thriller. Although the story wasn't on par, the acting kept me hooked, especially Masami Nagasawa. Her posture with elbows tucked to the side and hands clapsed on her belly seemed so natural. She totally embodied a hotel staff.And I adored the set design. It had a subtle glamour to it. Wasn't tacky at all. It should get an award for set design for sure.
The movie could be shorter but then you wouldn't get the character interactions and developments that made it enjoyable...Brilliant!
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i dont think i will watching this again maybe if i dont have any thing to do. im not saying the movie is bad.
again the content of this movie should be a series not movie.
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4 years later, I still haven't forgotten this movie so I thought why not a re-watch?
I do follow the rule of "you cant see a thriller, horror or mystery movie again because suspense doesn't work twice" but I still decided to watch it. This time, fueled by the knowledge of Japanese cinema, I watched it with full excitement.
The movie starts nice and slow so you get a grip but in actual reality, the movie is going really fast and we just don't know it. Then again, the movie is long. But it is very detailed. Ofc, I am lusting over the cast but that doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention to the details. Mainly cause the movie goes slow, we catch a lot of details but are we?
The movie likes to joke around a lot on who is the killer. The person we thought it is might not be the one or is it? One by one, every little detail in the movie is broken down. So as advice dont do the weird detective shit that we normally do seeing a mystery movie. Just enjoy the movie.
The cast was extravagant, just like the movie. We have the famed KT and the every so "pretty girl" NM and their epic duo. They were polar opposites and hence made the movie fun to see. NM plays a character who is a perfectionist but at the same time, is very sensitive to each one and treats everyone with grace. She is paired up with KT's character who is a selfish wreck ball but really quick to catch on to things. We see the movie through his ways and means so yes, we also think what he thinks.
The music is underrated. Its the BG music that gave all the effect of whatever subtle rich cinematography was shown here.
Overrall this movie isnt a mystery movie. It just gives a vibe of it. In reality it is just a nice movie to watch.
Its not superb or anything. It was nice.
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