22-nenme no kokuhaku: Watashi ga satsujinhan desu (2017) Reviews

• Crazy, but genuinely gripping and a whole lot of fun

  themadmovieman2017-07-21

  Based on a South Korean film called Memories Of Murder, the premise for this film is absolutely brilliant. As preposterous as it may sound at first, the events that follow a spellbinding opening act are hugely engrossing, with twists and turns every way you look. Directed brilliantly by Yû Irie, and featuring impressive performances across the board, Confession Of Murder is rapid-fire, gripping and hugely entertaining watch from beginning to end. Let's start on what works best about the film: the story. The premise of a long-wanted criminal publicly confessing to a string of infamous murders by publishing a book about it had me immediately intrigued in this movie. The great thing about it is that the following events work in similar fashion to any old murder mystery, except for the fact that you know who the culprit is, allowing for more drama and unpredictability to come about as a result. Not only does this film work well as an exciting crime mystery, there's also a lot of intriguing drama as well. Above all, the film's opening act looks heavily at the role of the media in crime investigations, and the effect that it can have on public opinion, as we see this self-confessed serial killer turned into a beloved celebrity within days by the media frenzy he has deliberately whipped up. What's more is that the following two acts aren't so much of a police investigation into how the murders came about, but an in-depth research by one acclaimed journalist as his doubts about the new book bring him to investigate whether everything is really as it seems. Throughout the story, the film takes countless twists and turns. Some are absolutely ridiculous and silly, and some are properly thrilling. Although I won't say this has the same level of grit and deep emotional shock, the extent to which the film twists so much is comparable to the likes of Se7en and Gone Girl, so it's likely a film that you'll enjoy if you're a fan of those two from David Fincher. Of course, this isn't a particularly dark film, and it's a far more enjoyable watch than some of Fincher's hardest-hitting thrillers, but that doesn't mean it can't be gritty as well. As crazy as some of its twists are, Confession Of Murder is actually a pretty violent film, with some brutal murder sequences throughout that do bring a higher sense of drama and weight to the events unfolding, showing that there's more at stake than just a routine journalistic investigation. As always, I won't spoil anything here for you, but make sure you go into this film in the knowledge that you really can't see what's coming next. Some of the twists are better-earned than others, but in general, this is a really exciting and unpredictable film throughout, making for a hugely entertaining watch from start to finish. But it's not only the story that makes this film work so well, director Yû Irie also does a brilliant job at giving the film a thrilling pace and sense of urgency. Following an epic opening sequence, the film begins a brilliant snowball effect that lasts throughout the whole movie, picking up more and more tension and controversy in the story and pushing the characters into a near state of hysteria. What's more is that Irie gives the film a brilliantly modern vibe, which fits perfectly with its look at the media's role in crime investigations. With a pulsating soundtrack that complements the sleek cinematography excellently, as well as the visual contrast between modern day and the events 22 years ago, with scenes set in 1995 given that contemporary grainy look, this is a fantastically modern and fast-paced movie, but it makes for even more excitement throughout. Finally, the performances. Given that the film occasionally delves into somewhat melodramatic territory surrounding its more out-there twists and turns, I wasn't expecting the actors to hold up so well, but I have to say they really did. With excellent turns across the board, bringing a fantastic diversity of evil cunning, integrity, hard-line investigation and pure madness across all of the characters, particularly the lead three, the murderer, the cop and the journalist, there's even more to enjoy and delve into in this film. Overall, I loved Confession Of Murder. Fast-moving, exciting and genuinely gripping throughout all of its twists and turns, it's a brilliantly entertaining film, and with an excellent and sleek directing style as well as some fantastic performances, you'll be on the edge of your seat before you know it.

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• An intriguing thriller

  Gordon-112017-12-10

  This film tells the story of a series of five unsolved murders in Tokyo back in 1995. All of a sudden, a man claims to be the murderer in a shocking memoir. It is disturbing to see a murderer publishing an autobiographical book on his murders. This alone makes this story very intriguing. However, things turn out differently as expected, because nothing is as it seems. The twists are unexpected and surprising. The story offers a lot of mystery and thrill throughout. I enjoyed watching it.

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• Ridiculously entertaining

  nmegahey2018-01-27

  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.

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• A good remake from the original

  phanthinga2017-12-24

  Confession of Murder 2017 is a crime,thriller movie remake from a South Korean movie with the same name about a book written by a serial killer exposed his past crime that raise a lot of attention not only from the cop but also from the media about whenever it real or fake.As a guy who already watched the original i think the remake do it justice while adding more stuff here and there make it very interesting when comparing to the original.If you like this movie please watch the original first for a more impactful twist

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• Everything the original should have been

  sofianXmXh2017-12-19

  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

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