Revenge and the Law After the death of his wife, the only joy in the life of an elderly man was his daughter, a high school student. But trouble doesn't come alone. And now, heartbroken, my father is in the morgue on body ID. A few days later, a mysterious voice in the phone tells the hero the names of his daughter’s killers, and where to find them.
And again the film adaptation of the novel, the most popular in Japan author, Keigo Higashino. Traditional plot gives a variety of options for development, from a classic detective thriller to a dramatic story about revenge and justice. That's just the director-debutant Soichi Mashiko (screenwriter of the films "Guys Return: Reunion", "Day on the Planet", "Closed Pain") did everything too diligently and according to the textbook, as if afraid to stumble. The picture harmoniously combines elements of suspense and tragedy, but does not emphasize either the first or the second. Surprisingly, even on such a banal and at the same time winning story with proper skill it was possible to walk around in the wild. But Mashiko took the path of least resistance, presenting the viewer with a rather bland narrative, as a result of which already clichéd scenario decisions become deadly boring. In dramatic moments, the tape acutely lacks pain, and in tense moments, the tension itself is catastrophically lacking.
Of course, the legendary composer Kenji Kawai tries his best to brighten up the history with signature musical themes, but without directorial pressure, these efforts are in vain. Acting works are good, but they are clamped in general texture and do not jump above the general standard. The duo of investigators “Zheglov and Sharapov” performed by Yutaki Takenouchi (“Godzilla: Revival”, “The King of Apologies”, “Both: The Last Samurai”, the dramas “Falling Star” and “My Voice for You”) and the 72-year-old veteran Shiro Ito (“Lupen III”, “Murders in Theatrical Masks”, “Speak, Speak”) works strictly within the genre framework. Akira Terao (“Love, “Beloved one of his goal”, “Kazhim” ” , living emotionally from his character, ” kami, ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ”
Summing up: bland and absolutely inexpressive directing in this case put an end to attempts to bring the finished work beyond the ordinary canon. Too smooth and academic picture, which in the hands of a strong director could shoot. But not this time...
6.5 out of 10