The Third Murder Review 2017 Japan 三度目の殺人

The Third Murder 三度目の殺人
Year: 2017
Director: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Writer: Kore-eda Hirokazu
Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Suzu Hirose, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa, Izumi Matsuoka, Yuki Saito, Kōtarō Yoshida, Isao Hashizume, Kōji Yakusho
Running time: 124 minutes
Country: Japan

Japanese auteur Kirokazu Kore-eda's latest film is a break away from his usual gentle family-centric dramas instead opting for a complex murder mystery legal thriller.

Misumi (Kôji Yakusho) has beaten and killed an industrialist. He turns himself in and confesses to the crime. The case could not be more straightforward until defence attorney Shigemori (Fukuyama Masaharu) arrives, determined to do all he can help his client avoid the death penalty. Challenging assertions, seeking out inconsistencies and refusing to take anything at face value, he seeks to obscure the truth in order to save his client. (Glasgow Film Festival)

Kore-eda is undoubtedly one of the finest Japanese directors working today. His films have been consistent and received praise at film festivals from critics and fans alike. However, in spite of this, he has never managed to become one of the well-known Asian directors whose name is known worldwide to more of a mainstream audience like Miike or Kitano.

The Third Murder has performed very well in Japan; it did well at the box office and recently went on to win six awards at the 41st Japan Academy Prize. Including three big awards for Kore-eda himself for Director of the Year, Screenplay of the Year and Best Editing of the Year. It also took home the main award for Picture of the Year, as well as Best Supporting Actor (Koji Yakusho) and Best Supporting Actress (Suzu Hirose).

But is it any good? Short answer, yes. Is it as good as Kore-eda Hirokazu's other work? Short answer, no.

The film opens with Misumi played by veteran actor Koji Yakusho gruesomely murdering a man at night with a hammer. It's a startling introduction, and it informs the viewers they aren't in for a typical whodunit type of film. Instead, Kore-eda uses his slow-paced meditative style to unwrap a complex narrative of why he committed murder. There are many different theories and ideas placed throughout the film which will leave most viewers with different beliefs as they try to piece it together for themselves.

The script is expertly handled with the courtroom scenes and the scenes with lawyers interviewing witnesses really bringing the film to life with its sheer honesty and brutal reality. In preparation for making The Third Murder, Kore-eda brought together seven lawyers over several months and had them do mock interviews with a criminal and stage mock trials while he observed and studied their thought process and language. This idea paid off extremely well as it all feels incredibly accurate.

Some of the greatest scenes of the film involved the lawyer Shigemori interviewing Misumi behind security-glass. These would involve long takes with little to no camera movement with everything focusing on the characters facial expressions. Sometimes he would frame the scene where you could only see one of the faces and the other was just a reflection in the glass. This all adds the emphasis to how important these discussions are for the lawyer and just how frustrating it is for him to try to get to the bottom of this mystery as Misumi constantly changes his version of what happened.

Suzu Hirose actually shot to fame back in 2015 with her starring role in another Hirokazu Kore-eda film Our Little Sister. She was only 16 at the time of release but managed to deliver a stunning performance. Now, at the still young age of 19, she has somehow managed to improve leaps-and-bounds. If there is one actor or actress in Japan that I was to tell you to keep your eye on, it would be Suzu Hirose. I believe she is going to have an exciting future in the film business.

The only downside to the story is a subplot with Shigemori's daughter slows down the pacing of the film and can get a little muddy as the story overlaps with some similarities to Misumi's own story. The film might also be a little too 'talky' for mainstream viewers, which could turn them off before we get to the exciting climax. For those who are familiar with Kore-eda's filmography then this shouldn't be an issue at all.

The Third Murder tackles some interesting points and asks compelling questions about the legal justice system and the death penalty, which is still legal in Japan. Kore-eda may have written this as some social commentary towards these issues, as the ideas and themes will definitely linger in your mind long after you have finished watching.

7.5/10

Written and reviewed as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2018

When The Promised Flower Blooms Review 2018 Japan さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう

When The Promised Flower Blooms aka Let's Decorate the Promised Flowers in the Farewell Morning さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう
Year: 2018
Director: Mari Okada
Writer: Mari Okada
Cast: Manaka Iwami, Miyu Irino, Ai Kayano, Yuuki Kaji
Music: Kenji Kawai
Running Time: 115 minutes
Country: Japan

Acclaimed screenwriter Mari Okada makes her directorial debut with a breathtaking animated fantasy feature.

The people of Iolph have a lifespan of hundreds of years and maintain their teenage appearances for life. When an army invades their peaceful town, seeking Iolph blood and the secret of their longevity, a young girl named Maquia is forced to escape. Wandering the land alone, she encounters an orphaned baby in the forest. Maquia chooses to raise him, but as the boy grows older, her looks remain the same, throwing the difference in their lifespans into ever-sharper focus. (Glasgow Film Festival)

Although this is Mari Okada's directorial debut, she is no stranger to the Japanese animation world. She has worked as a screenwriter for hits such as Basilisk and Fate/Stay Night and worked on many other successful shows such as CANAAN, Black Butler and Vampire Knight. I believe working on a variety of different genres has helped her first attempt as a director because When The Promised Flower is something of a genre-bender itself. Combining elements of fantasy, action, drama and coming-of-age, Mari managed to create something truly epic.

The film features some beautiful animation with the backdrops being the main stand out! They have created a beautiful fictional world which takes place on locations such as an island that looks similar to Themyscira from Wonder Woman to a city that is reminiscent of a location from Game of Thrones. These are simply breathtaking to just sit back and admire as the characters explore them. While the main characters themselves might not be as aesthetically pleasing and are more minimalist than what you would see in a Ghibli film, they still seem to work very well with this style and genre.

The meat of the story focuses on the main character Maquia and her relationship with her adopted son Erial. Their relationship starts off cute and cuddly with Erial being a baby right through to boyhood, featuring some hilarious and often touching moments between them. However, things get more complicated as he gets older, grows taller and goes through his teenage years on his way to manhood, yet his mum still appears to look like a teenage girl. This is when the story gets deep and ventures into some heart-wrenching scenes. While not everyone can relate to being immortal, everyone can relate to the changing relationships between parents and children as they grow up.

There are also a couple of wonderfully crafted action scenes spread throughout the film which keeps the flow of the film going at a steady pace while also keeping you interested and alert. They could have benefited from another big action scene, but the film already has a near 2-hour run-time and I don't think they wanted to go overboard.

Because the Iolph people are immortal, the story will often leap forward years ahead which can sometimes be a little jarring. Some of the characters don't stand-out as well as others which can leave you confused trying to figure out who is who. However, because of this plot aspect, they manage to create some compelling, powerful and intriguing storytelling which wouldn't be feasible otherwise.

Kenji Kawai took control as the musical composer and really lifted the film to give it the feel of a huge blockbuster film. Kenji Kawai has lent his hand to many massive anime films including Ghost In The Shell and The Sky Crawlers. However, he has also ventured into live-action, composing for films such as Ringu and the massive Ip Man series starring Donnie Yen. Kenji has created a score that fits the film's emotion perfectly while also suiting the medieval setting, and although there are only a few big action scenes, the music really brings them to life. The main title song Viator by Rionos is enchanting and when it plays at the end I overheard more than a few people bubbling away in the theatre.

The film has a few issues for the climax with many false-endings and some over-clarification. I believe the viewers will have already figured it out without them rehashing points and explaining it again. The film manages to redeem itself with their real ending though, which is what viewers will have been waiting patiently for.

When The Promised Flower Blooms is truly magnificent! It's an incredible story of a relationship between mother and son which just so happens to be set in a stunning Game of Thrones-esque fantasy world! Highly ambitious, extremely moving, at times hilarious and completely beautiful from start to finish.

8/10

All The Anime are releasing When The Promised Flower Blooms in select UK and Ireland cinemas on 27th June.

Screened and reviewed as part of the Glasgow Film Festival 2018.