Kokuhaku 告白 [movie]

Impressive even with Act I alone. 

Cast:

Matsu Takako - Moriuchi Sensei

Ashida Mana - Manami (daughter)

Okada Masaki - Terada Sensei

Nishii Yukito - Watanabe Shuuya 

Hashimoto Ai - Kitahara Mizuki

Fujiwara Kaoru - Shimomura Naoki 

Kimura Yoshino - Shimomura (mother)

I honestly think this would have been amazing as the first act, like a short film. When it went to black after she announces about the HIV..... wow. 

That could have ended there and I would have been in shock - maybe all night.

I did think I was going to reach the end of the movie and be disappointed that it didnt end at act one, but actually, jesus what an ending. 

So, I guess I should outline the plot, somehow without giving any spoilers. 

Moriuchi's 4 year old daughter was killed by some of her students with questionable nature, she goes a little revengetastic and the plot just twists and flips over a bunch of times as the different members of the story tell their own sides. 

Ive seen films with that sort of premise before but this feels different, with a kind of quiet, introspective musing with no real conclusion. 

The two boys who play the main murderous classmates were spectacular. Yes, the acclaimed Matsu Takako was brilliant, but those two boys seemed to become more and more fantastic throughout the course of the movie. Rightly so, with their evolution into Moriuchi's madness.

It is a little gruesome in parts but on the whole it isnt a horror. 

It is dark and suspenseful like a thriller, but Im really unsure how to describe it appropriately if recommending to a friend...

I guess I wouldn't say much as it is really good to watch it unfurl without knowing a thing. 

It is pretty deep and awful in many ways but also so moving, it is hard to root for anyone, it really is like you are just watching some horrific scene infront of you and you have no idea how to take it all in, then it is over before you come to terms with what you just witnessed.

I clocked what was going to happen right at the end but it still felt pretty nasty as it all happened. 

Shot beautifully and the direction must have been a fairly spot on combination with the casting. 

Ive heard the director (Nakashima Tetsuya - Thirst Kamikaze Girls),wouldn't do it without Matsu, but the casting of Hashimoto, Nishii, and Fujiwara was perfect. 

They didnt come into their own until after Moriuchi's confession was over so I am glad that it didnt stop there. 

Ashida Mana (Pacific Rim) was cute as ever, Im so excited to see how she grows as an actress. It sucks to watch her die, not so happy about that. Everything I see her in I have to watch her cry or die or something. Gah, not nice. She is so adorable. And fantastic. 

Hashimoto Ai (Another, Thirst, Kirishima Bukatsu Yamerutteyo) was beautiful and weird, a good pairing for Fujiwara.

I cant say much more right now Im too tired and being distracted by other TV. But I will say it was great to watch something really good for a change to the sh*t I have been watching recently. Fuma no Kojiro and Clone baby. I love awful late night TV and cant help myself. So this was a welcome change. 

~