All heavens have their own hell. -Francis An amazing film, to watch which I needed no less, but a whole day, so intense plot in it, a gloomy and pressing atmosphere and some special piercing for me acting. At some points, you had to interrupt the viewing to exhale, come to your senses and drink a cup of tea to calm down, the action is so addictive, and most importantly, thanks to the fantastic procedure shown on the screen, such a stunning effect of presence is achieved that you will not get in any three-D cinema.
I have not seen the anime and manga based on which this film was created, to be honest, so I have nothing to compare with! The movie liked - an interesting confusing plot, which does not let you relax, and the characters themselves from nominally positive main characters, to keep the staff of the mysterious ninth department running new technology of investigation, to negative, presented here in the most disgusting light. The Japanese generally know how to make a movie about dangerous psychopaths, somehow incomprehensibly combining disgust for them, and still showing them some vicious, repulsive and dark attraction, forcing them to watch their action with fearful fading of the heart. The main antagonist of the film, the same Kinuko, the puppet of the mysterious puppeteer, hiding in the darkness of the posthumous behind the scenes, and instilling terror in everyone who is not lucky enough to look into his soul, is so attractive and insane that she does not leave anyone who has faced her indifferent - investigators hate her, the rest of the men want her, she is not afraid of anyone and nothing, and is so smart that it seems elusive. it is not surprising that the puppeteer stops his choice on her, passing on this goddess of death his terrible baton. The two lunatics found each other and found a common purpose and obsession, becoming more bony and cranberry.
This pair is contrasted with two detectives - recently came to the police and promising Aoki and the commander of the ninth department Maki. Both police officers are young, handsome, smart and ambitious. And they both have a bad past behind them. But guys deal with it differently. Aoki spills his pain during sparring into physical pain, Maki prefers to lock it deep in the soul, pulling on his face the mask of gloomy coldness and detachment from everything, but he does not always succeed.
This role, in my amateurish opinion, is currently one of Toma’s best works. He knows how to play psychotics and detectives, his experience is good, and I am still so sorry in my heart that it was not for him at one time that he was offered to play the brilliant Yagami Light, who would be magnificent in the performance of Toma! But part of my dream came true when I saw Tom in the image of Maki - if it wasn't for that universal longing in Maki's eyes and that emotional fragility of the character, visible even behind a thick shield of icy calm, then the perfect Light would come out. I really liked that despite the demonstrated lack of emotion, dispassion and composure of Maki, Ikuta somehow managed to convey the passions raging in the soul of the detective. In the scene with a criminal psychiatrist, who once had our antagonist, at the moment of talking with this vile man, Maki is absolutely calm on the outside, not a muscle flinched on a stone face, but the viewer still feels the desire of the policeman to nail to death this talking rat, openly mocking the impotence of the detective. There is no word on how well played. And these tightly entangled hands behind a straight back, also talking a lot about the character. And after all, this is only me talking about one hero, and in the film there are enough such characters-mysteries - from a rat from psychology to a beautiful pathologist girl.
Separately, I want to note the work of costumers, so many beautiful and stylish strict men’s costumes I have never seen anywhere. Not only do they sit well on actors, but actors also know how to wear them, and this is not found anywhere in films. Thank you very much.
In general, I will say that this film should be watched by fans of Ikuta Toma’s talent, and optionally by everyone else who likes good detective stories with elements of a psychological thriller.