Over four blissful years, Rie and her son shared a loving new life with her second husband, Daisuke. His sudden accidental death brings not only grief, but an unnerving discovery for the widow: the man she thought she knew was posing under someone else’s identity. In a startling dual narrative, the mystery around Mr. X unfolds beneath the hands of Kido, the attorney handling the case. Rie and her son are forced to contemplate the legitimacy of Mr. X’s meaning in their lives, while Kido’s ethnic heritage as a zainichi (Japanese-born Korean) draws unwanted scrutiny throughout the investigation.
Prefaced by René Magritte’s surrealist painting Not to be Reproduced, this thought-provoking film immediately delves into questions of identity and social prejudice. Thriller elements are measured masterfully under the direction of Ishikawa, while showcasing poignant performances from Sakura Ando (Shoplifters, Monster) and Masataka Kubota (13 Assassins, Rurouni Kenshin). Beautifully soundtracked by experimental Taiwanese ensemble ‘Cicada’, this multi-award-winning film is a vital addition to a growing genre of Japanese cinema that interrogates fragile morals permeating contemporary society.
"There is [..] much more to this film than its mystery storyline. [..] its portrayal of Japanese society’s ingrained intolerance of those who vary from the assumed norm is knowing and unsparing."
- Mark Schilling, The Japan Times
Saturday 30th September
121 min
CTC
Kei Ishikawa
Film Festival
Palace Norton St
