22-nenme no kokuhaku: Watashi ga satsujinhan desu

Why is it that in almost every Korean and Japanese film, there has to be ridiculous, long, drawn out scenes of ordinary people and wimpy cops crying alligator tears? And it doesn't matter if the cryers are young, old, male, female, weak or strong - everybody gets their chance to beat their chests raw till tears cascade like rain off their tepid cheeks. Without these annoying scenes, the movies would be powerful, well told, and recommended. Otherwise, just move along. The reveals are poor and ridiculous. Nothing to see here.

So this is a direct remake of a Korean thriller that came out a couple of years ago. Unfortunately it doesn't quite live up to the task. Though if you haven't seen the original you will probably be susprised by a couple of things and may be able to add 1 or 2 points to the 6 I gave this. But only until you see the superior original will that hold up.

The acting is decent and there are small changes to the original, though none improving on what the original did. I know I've stressed that a couple of times, but I just want to make sure, people know it, before they watch this. It's up to you to go back and revisit the other movie or just go for that one to begin with. I'm pointing in that direction, so you can enjoy the twists and turns with a higher quality overall. This one is overall decent ...

To call Memoirs of a Murderer a remake of the 2012 South Korean "Confession of Murder," simply doesn't do this motion picture justice. For clarification, Memoirs of a Murderer is the 2017 Japanese reimagining of the 2012 original. And boy, did they succeed.

After 22 years, in 2017, the statute of limitations of a serial killer has expired. The serial killer, now an author of his self-confessional book, in which he details his crimes, tries to make profit off of his 1995 crimes. I can't say more about the plot, it's best to watch this movie knowing as little as possible. But believe you me, this movie will effortlessly hold your attention.

This movie hits all the right notes. When I started watching this, I was hoping it wouldn't be a blatant shot-for-shot remake of the original, and my prayers were answered. What we have here is the same, but extended, thrilling story minus everything that genuinely ruined the original.

I remember watching the original movie thinking how insanely clever the entire plot was. And I still think that is the case, but the way they decided to execute it in the original movie's second half, really hurt the entire movie. I'm talking about the blasphemous Hollywood-esque car chase scene. Yes, it's just one scene, but if memory serves correctly, it was long drawn, and other reviewers criticized the movie for the very same thing.

I am happy to announce that the Japanese learned a lesson from this, and thus I would like to personally applaud the writers for doing some research prior to finalizing the script, and giving the story even more depth than it originally had. I even nearly cried.

To me, this is a masterpiece.

10/10 for the reimagining, 7.5/10 for the original

Yu Irie's remake of Jung Byoung-Gil's mindlessly entertaining Korean thriller blockbuster Confession of Murder tones down some of the original's more over-the-top action stunt sequences and in its place gives the film a Japanese context where it feels very much at home. Irie adopts a manga-style approach in Memoirs of a Murderer that is not a million miles removed from the conspiracy thrillers of Naoki Urusawa (20th Century Boys, Monster), providing a suitable comic-book like context for the somewhat incredible twists, turns and revelations that literally explode off the screen in this ridiculously entertaining film.

A newly introduced 15 year statute of limitations law has left the Tokyo police force frustrated at their inability to capture the notorious Tokyo Strangler, who in 1995 brutally murdered five victims in front of witnesses from their own family. In 2017 however, now no longer able to be tried for his crimes, the killer reveals his identity when he comes forward to promote a book that describes the killings in detail. The handsome murderer Masato Sonezaki immediately becomes a media sensation and a celebrity , embarking on a series of book signings and TV interviews where he mocks the police for their incompetence and failure to capture him. Detective Makimura is outraged, as are the families of his victims who long for justice, but suspicions start to emerge that the celebrity killer is actually a fraud.

Yu Irie's reworking of the Korean original rightly doesn't forgo the simple pleasures of the thriller by attempting to make it more credible or realistic, but Memoirs of a Murderer does try to place the themes in some kind of meaningful context in regards to Japanese society. 1995, the year of the Strangler's killings, is significant as it is also the year of the Kobe earthquake, and although the connection might be tenuous, references to this event do succeed in tapping into sentiments of trauma and guilt, as well as the idea of forces beyond our control that cause unjust, inexplicable and indiscriminate horror. It also challenges the society's unhealthy worship of the cult of celebrity that is whipped up and exploited with some dynamically staged scenes that take place in the full sensationalised glare of the media.

There's really no need for subtext or justification required however for Memoirs of a Murderer; its intentions are purely to provide entertainment in a non-stop jaw-dropping thriller. Irie's manga and anime -influenced pacing, characterisation, exposition and staging of the drama is dynamic and gripping, never leaving any room for the viewer to start questioning credibility when it's tricky enough to just keep up with the outrageous succession of constantly shifting twists and revelations.

'Memoirs of a Murderer' is a Japanese remake of the 2012 South Korean film 'Confession of Murder'. The editing is very good. The acting is very good. Unfortunately, the film was not as impressive as 'Confession of Murder'. The reveal was not as effective, and I didn't quite enjoy the film's climax as much.

The film illustrates how some people become celebrities due to media coverage. Here we have a cop filled with regret and hatred, family members who wants justice, the media who wants to cash in, and a fraud with a genius plan. If there was nothing to compare it with, it would have been a good watch. Much rather watch 'Confession of Murder', though. There was no need for this remake.