Orangevine
This is a clever mystery movie with a nice cinematic feel, charismatic characters thrown into passionate confrontations, and not overly complicated plot.
Whether one considers Fujiwara Tatsuya a king of overacting or an acting titan, one must admit that he is recognised inside the industry as a definitive performer of the villain roles. After all, he meets all the requirements: his presence always looms large despite his small stature and his low voice is perfect both for enticing others to the dark side and for instilling fear in the hearts of his enemies. Violet prose aside, it takes little effort to imagine Fujiwara petting a white persian cat while torturing the most recent Bond incarnation.
The villain of this movie, in particular, seems to be tailored for Fujiwara. The character is handsome, smug, intelligent, and violent. The viewer is ready to cheer his downfall yet can't help but wonder if something else is going on with this murderer.
Other characters including the male lead played by Ito Hideaki are similarly charismatic. Moreover, the Korean origins of the material lend unexpected passion to the characters and tension to the conflicts. Japan is a country with a very low crime rate so the idea that upon learning that law enforcement failed to capture the criminal (which is already outrageous) the victims' relatives will take justice in their own hands is quite bizarre. So it's rarely encountered in J-dramas. In this movie, not only the themes of revenge, corruption, and helplessness are touched upon, the characters act in a more dramatic manner than the expected norm.
This passion makes for entertaining confrontations. I'd argue they are the main attraction of the movie. Indeed, while the plot is suitably unpredictable (and has several nice touches for mystery connoisseurs), it is not ground-breaking. Moreover, the story is a bit dated and has the expected dose of sexism and heavy-handed moralizations.
While Fujiwara did receive the best actor nomination at the Japanese Academy Awards for his role in this movie, the movie itself is best enjoyed not as a serious drama but as a classic dark mystery that features charismatic characters thrown into passionate conflicts and nice sleek cinematography. The scene of the final confrontation, in particular, seems to be heavy on the fanservice.
Whether one considers Fujiwara Tatsuya a king of overacting or an acting titan, one must admit that he is recognised inside the industry as a definitive performer of the villain roles. After all, he meets all the requirements: his presence always looms large despite his small stature and his low voice is perfect both for enticing others to the dark side and for instilling fear in the hearts of his enemies. Violet prose aside, it takes little effort to imagine Fujiwara petting a white persian cat while torturing the most recent Bond incarnation.
The villain of this movie, in particular, seems to be tailored for Fujiwara. The character is handsome, smug, intelligent, and violent. The viewer is ready to cheer his downfall yet can't help but wonder if something else is going on with this murderer.
Other characters including the male lead played by Ito Hideaki are similarly charismatic. Moreover, the Korean origins of the material lend unexpected passion to the characters and tension to the conflicts. Japan is a country with a very low crime rate so the idea that upon learning that law enforcement failed to capture the criminal (which is already outrageous) the victims' relatives will take justice in their own hands is quite bizarre. So it's rarely encountered in J-dramas. In this movie, not only the themes of revenge, corruption, and helplessness are touched upon, the characters act in a more dramatic manner than the expected norm.
This passion makes for entertaining confrontations. I'd argue they are the main attraction of the movie. Indeed, while the plot is suitably unpredictable (and has several nice touches for mystery connoisseurs), it is not ground-breaking. Moreover, the story is a bit dated and has the expected dose of sexism and heavy-handed moralizations.
While Fujiwara did receive the best actor nomination at the Japanese Academy Awards for his role in this movie, the movie itself is best enjoyed not as a serious drama but as a classic dark mystery that features charismatic characters thrown into passionate conflicts and nice sleek cinematography. The scene of the final confrontation, in particular, seems to be heavy on the fanservice.
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