Gôruden suranbâ

Aoyagi (Masato Sakai) is mistaken for a murderer and on the run from the cops. At first glance one would think it to be a simple suspense film, but that's not the case. Each character has a deeper motive. Carefree, open-hearted, soft-spoken, each character seems to have some sort of reliance and trust in Aoyagi.A married couple with child get into an elevator, standing alongside a suspicious hooded man. The elevator descends, and a long take follows them as they walk through the department store. Suddenly, the child disappears. In this moment the film has us nervously thinking, "Something bad must have happened."

With this powerful moment I'd recommend the film. Every scene in the film feels like a pure cinematic experience: when the company owner says to Aoyagi, "i know You aren't the criminal;" when we cut to the scenery outside the car in motion; when the child of the wanted criminal dies. Even normal scenes were certainly shot with meaning. The cooperation of Sendai City during the filming has a positive effect on the movie's quality. Extras who appear in the film for just a few seconds stand with consideration for their own significance, in turn blessed by a splendid film.

As soundly escapist entertainment, it's a shame the film hasn't been screened overseas since its debut in 2010.

This kind of amusing film is an example for what Japanese cinema is all about.

I have seen this movie at the Berlinale Film Festival in Germany. For a European, it is always interesting and challenging to learn about Japan. The Japanese culture is so different from the European, so you generally cannot take anything for granted. In particular, this holds even more so for this movie.

It is about playing with the expectations and breaking assumptions, of any audience, constantly, no matter whether it is Japanese or European.

Some examples:

Can you expect to start up a rusty old car sitting in a swamp for years just by inserting a new battery?

Can you imagine a serial killer that is actually a nice boyish guy which acts as a guardian angel sometimes?

Would a mother leave her 3-year old child alone for a while to help some fugitive, to secretly install fireworks in the storm drains? And so on.

That is all what I want to say about the plot. The summary line and these examples must suffice. The absence of any certainties (regarding plot twists as well as underlying assumptions) makes it also bit confusing, but in a good way, though. Still, I think this complexity puzzled many spectators, and this is why there weren't many questions to the producers and the main actor after the festival screening.

Oftentimes in the movie something happens that seems to be completely predetermined, other events happen in a completely unpredictable and even absurd manner. The fact the movie walks on the fine line between determinism and haphazard, makes it also very profound. It is also a statement about the Japanese society and its people - and the many transformations it underwent in the last, say, 100 years. In this movie, most people have a positive attitude towards live and outcomes of their actions, even if bad things happen... murder, betrayal, treachery. Don't take it all too seriously.

I realize that I am trying to unravel the this movie. I have never seen anything like that before. Enjoyed it very much.

Thsi movie is based on the assassination of President Kennedy. A man who saves an idol from a thug is famous in Sendai, so everyone knows him. However, he is frame of the criminal of assassination. I enjoyed the scenes that compares his reality with his good old days. I was impressed with the scene that the former girlfriend exchanges the battery of the memorable car for the man and the woman to help him. The man remembers the events in the car, so these comparisons highlight that he is in severe situation. I also like the scene that the past friends tries to help him to avoid the police's chase. I can feel their ties because they believe that he does not assassinate up the Prime Minister from their serious and strong-willed expressions. It was also shocked for me that the police hits on the former girlfriend's face. However, I can understand the police's disparate persistence that he would like to capture him. I like this movie because I watched it with tension all the time. I also like the ending since the former girlfriend's daughter stamps on his hand, and the message summarizes the former girlfriend's feeling.

This movie is a suspense movie. The main character is Aoyagi. One day, he is mistaken for a murderer so that he runs for dear life. However, when he runs, there are a lot of difficulties. In order to live, he runs away many chaser with the help of his friends. I think that his performance is really good. In particular, I strongly feel sense of urgency. If you are interested in his performance, please watch this movie.

This is a movie that could be a promising mystery/thriller, and does have a capable director and a reasonable cast. However the story itself was so bad that I have no idea how it was even made into a movie.

Just to name a few things that are sorely lacking in this movie without spoiler: 1. No mystery was really solved in this movie. 2. The mystery was not really even developed that much in this movie. 3. How the hero succeeded was nothing short of miracle - multiple miracles in fact. Things that happened really don't make sense in reality.

I could go on to details of which plot holes/coincidences are too incredible but I'd rather not spoil the plot. Suffice to say that there're plenty.

Simply put, if you're looking for a decent mystery/thriller movie, this is NOT it.