Storyline
Kanako, a beautiful girl and one of the best students at school, goes missing with all the belongings left behind in her room. Her father Akikazu is now asked by his ex-wife to look for their daughter. He starts a desperate search of Kanako using any means, in the hope of getting his "ideal" family back in place despite the fact that the very reason of the family breakup was because of his problematic personality and behaviors. Following tracks of her past and present and talking to her "friends," he starts to get to know his daughter whom he never knew or didn't even attempt to know. When Akikazu is led to one clue, he realizes the world Kanako was facing beyond his imagination... Can the father find his daughter, and get back his perfect happy family he has dreamed of after all these years?
Writers: Akio Fukamachi, Tetsuya Nakashima
Cast: Kôji Yakusho -
Akikazu Fujishima
Nana Komatsu -
Kanako Fujishima
Satoshi Tsumabuki -
Detective Asai
Hiroya Shimizu -
I /
narrator
Fumi Nikaidô -
Nami Endo (Kanako's ex-middle school classmate)
Ai Hashimoto -
Emi Morishita (Kanako's high school friend)
Jun Kunimura -
Dr.Tsujimura
Joe Odagiri -
Detective Aikawa
Miki Nakatani -
Rie Azuma
Aoi Morikawa -
Tomoko Nagano
Munetaka Aoki -
Sakiyama
Asuka Kurosawa -
Kiriko Fujishima
Mahiro Takasugi -
Yasuhiro Matsunaga
Shôno Hayama -
Boy with blonde hair
Hiroki Nakajima -
Shimazu
Trivia:
The script had more action sequences but director Nakashima cut them down , because it was difficult for him to film. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 6/10
It is very violent. More than that, it is disturbing, depressing and
desperate. We follows our protagonist, former detective and divorcée
Akikazu Fujishima (Koji Yakusho) as he searches for his missing
daughter Kanako (Nana Komatsu) and learns about her secret life.
Through this search, different dark sides of the society emerges which
make you antsy in your seat.
The more we go along, the more disturbing and depressing the movie
seems to portray. None of the characters are lovable. All the
institutions: family, police, and schools are malfunctioning. The movie
depicts a sick society which appears to be OK but is buried with lots
of problems where people are betraying each other and families are and
non-communicative and destructive.
All characters are pathetic in different ways though they may not be
innately devilish. Somehow something goes wrong and everything falls
into this big chaos or trap where people do not know how to show their
care or use the wrong way to show their love which end up causing more
damage as they resort to violence and betrayal.
A very sad movie that paints a tragic side of Japanese culture, or can
it happen in any culture, regardless of economic development? People
yearning for love, care, respect and recognition and identification,
but what they meet is betrayal, ignorance, bullying, and violence. Very
twisted characters and relationships that make you feel so disappointed
and horrified with humanity.
On the surface, or in the beginning, you see angels who seem to be your
revelation. Kanako appears to be such an angel. But not until his cop
father starts to look into her disappearance does he realize how much
he understands/misunderstands his daughter, ditto his wife and vice
versa. Similar misperception happens at school and in the police
station.
Perhaps it just serves as a warning sign to us all: in many ways the
people around us could just be like that if we hit the wrong button.
Look at all the random shootings in the US. And the terrorist attacks.
We would not know when they will turn against us and we just have to
constantly remind ourselves to be alert.
Very good acting of the cast in creating a haunting atmosphere. I would
not like to befriend with any of the characters.
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