Thursday 26 May 2011

Recommended: Shinzanmono: Akai Yubi

Since a new film based on this popular detective series has been announced, I thought I'd write about the first film special that followed the original TV series.











The cast remains the same from the TV show, and they’re all accomplished in their acting. As they should be, having played the same characters before. And perhaps that’s this film’s strength. Everyone is so comfortable in their roles that the story can flourish without any backstory or introductions. This may be a bit off-putting for anyone who’s not seen the TV series, and the relationship between the two detectives (the younger officer who outranks his older, smarter cousin) may be a bit confusing, but it’s a minor distraction.











This film is perhaps what the ten-part TV series should have been. With just two hours to tell the story instead of ten hours, the film has a much tighter storyline with few distractions from the central crime. There are no side stories about other suspects, just a much clearer detective story with the added advantage of Abe Hiroshi’s charm and dry humour. With this in mind, I'm looking forward to the new film much more than I would a new series.

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