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Takako Matsu, Masaki Okada, Yoshino Kimura, Mana Ashida, Kaoru Fujiwara

Tetsuya Nakashima wrote and directed this edgy drama about a woman who plots revenge against a handful of irresponsible youths. Yuko Moriguchi (Takako Matsu) is a teacher who spends her days looking a... read more read more...fter a class of frequently unruly seventh graders. One day, Yuko calmly announces to her class that she's leaving her job soon as she's still struggling with the recent death of her young daughter. She adds that she knows who was responsible for the child's drowning, they happen to be among the students in her class -- and that the milk they're drinking may just be infected with a deadly disease. Though a series of flashbacks, we become witnesses to Yuko's difficulties with her students, the actions of the nameless students she believes are guilty of murder -- one of whom is planning vengeance against Yuko, while the other sinks deep into paranoia -- and the incidents that suggest the likely innocence and guilt of the parties involved. Kokuhaku (aka Confessions) received its North American premiere at the 2010 New York Asian Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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89% liked it

2,230 ratings

Critics

80% liked it

15 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Tetsuya Nakashima

Release Date: December 31, 2010

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Flixster Reviews (514)

  • romy861
    April 21, 2012
    romy861
    Excellent! It was a little hard to follow who was who at times, as it took me a while to realize it was going back and forth in time. By the end I could follow it okay, though.
    I really liked the look of this film and the use of slow motion, shadows etc - really was beautiful to... read more look at and the story of revenge, once I got used to how it was being told, was excellent. It is quite an achievement that the teacher came across as sympathetic even though she was awful by the end of it.
    I unfortunately don't get to see a lot of Japanese films, so I have no idea if the cast are well known or not, but they all seemed very good.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    January 8, 2012
    DragonEyeMorrison
    It's another one of those movies that starts well but then drowns in it's own style in the second half. Matsu and Kimura give great performances, Nakashima's obsession with slow mo sequences with radiohead playing in the background get tiredsome pretty quickly. It's also one of t... read morehose movies that has teen characters that happen to be super genious at something. Overall, a decent effort that falls short of being even something better and more relevant.
  • lewiskendell
    October 12, 2011
    lewiskendell
    Wow, I don't even really know where to begin with this one! Confessions is an expertly crafted ensemble drama/thriller about revenge and cruelty. At the center is a teacher whose young child dies in a school pool, but the movie grows to include the narratives of the people respon... read moresible for the child's death, as well as others connected to them.

    It's non-linear and the character focus cycles between several people. I haven't seen many other movies like it, actually. It's thoughtful and contemplative one minute, and brutally cruel the next. Confessions is very dialogue driven (hence, the name), but there are moments of shocking imagery sprinkled throughout that carry the story as much as or more than the words of the characters. I thought the whole film was beautifully shot, with various different camera techniques used to augment the narrative. There's a dreamy, surreal, Virgin Suicides vibe to the whole thing that gives it a sedate pace, but that absolutely works.

    Will everyone like it? Nope. As I said, this is a fairly different type of film, even among the other Japanese films I've seen. It's hard to tailor my recommendation to the type of person who might like this, but I absolutely would hope that anyone interested gives Confessions a shot.
  • fb1216165431
    September 10, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Confessions is of loss, revenge, and redemption. Psychologically intoxicating and disturbing, Confessions features the wildest and ultimate revenge since in Oldboy of South Korea. Overwhelming. For mature audiences only.
  • kiriyamakazou
    April 3, 2011
    kiriyamakazou
    The first 30 minutes was gripping stuff. Though it seemed longer than it was. Those first 30 minutes had everything the rest of the film strives for. As the teacher recounts her horrific tale, the vacant students begin to pay attention. The tonal shifts that follow are so dramati... read morec at times, it's hard to rally connect, with anything or anyone. The teacher delivers her story with such flippancy that it's hard to tell if this is real. Nakashima's style suits the happy-go-lucky type films he's used to, but here the slow motion is gorgeous but intrusive. Representing something so complex as a series of vignettes results in a patchy and grim effort. It builds towards a climax that seems very out of place, due to the distance kept between us and the characters. No doubt a brave and different film, but one where some focused storytelling could have really helped.
  • Alireza64ir
    March 20, 2011
    Alireza64ir
    Watching east asian movies with revenge themes is becoming intolerable but this one is a must see. Didn't take it's psychological side seriously but enjoyed this stylish , twisted, bloody, dark thriller .It's Japan's official selection for 2011 Oscar
  • imrealgod
    February 1, 2011
    imrealgod
    It's been quite a while having watched some decent vengeance flick. After Oldboy (though I didn't like the other 2 movies of the trilogy), I can't remember having watched any good vengeance flick that stands out from the others. This movie is genuine in terms of plot and executio... read moren. Saying more than "It's a movie about revenge by a single mother against 2 students who killed her daughter." would spoil the effectiveness of the movie. Though it is not unpredictable, it's still pretty interesting. The way the movie explores different shades of human nature is incredible. The movie unfolds as events from the perspective of different characters.

    There are some good twists, which might not leave you dumbfounded, but you may find them dumb. However, that didn't serve as a spoiler for me. What I didn't like was how almost all the students of the class are shown imitating each other like monkeys [Eg: When their Sir Yoshiteru Terada asks someone to volunteer to write a cheerful note to Naoki, no one shows interest initially, but after one girl raises her hand, the whole class does the same. Another one is when the whole class starts shouting "Mozuki" like fools. There are ample of other incidents where the students are displayed as idiots], and how the teachers have almost no control over the class (I can understand if half the class was out of control and for a lesser time). However, I don't know about the students' behavior in Japan, so I can't say it was unrealistic.

    This deserved to be in the shortlist of 9 movies in the foreign category movies in foreign language for Oscar, although it couldn't get a place in the final list. In fact, had it not been for its nomination, I guess I'd have never heard about this movie. Yep, a good film gets recognition irrespective of its genre or country or whether it gets nominated in the Oscars or not (Eg: Oldboy, La vita è bella, Infernal Affairs, etc.), but this one doesn't cater to a large section, IMO. If you can sit through an unusual plot with somewhat awkward execution, I guess you should give this a try.
  • c0up
    November 26, 2010
    c0up
    'Confessions'. Dark and twisted, but I didn't quite get the point it was trying to make. Can't say I wasn't entertained though
  • skactopus
    October 16, 2010
    skactopus
    Based on the novel by the same title, Tetsuya Nakashima's Confessions excels with the storytelling.

    The entire film is dark in nature, disturbing, and exhausting. At times, it also feels like the entire film is in slow motion. To sum it all up, the 1 hour 45 minutes do

    ... read more not speed on by; however, all of this isn't as bad as it sounds. This is thanks to Nakashima's directing.

    The storytelling is phenomenal, as everything is laid out in the first portion. Heck, it is laid out enough that the film could have concluded, but it doesn't and things keep on rolling. Slowly but surely, bits and pieces of the plot become clear which all adds up to a satisfying conclusion.

    The cinematography is a huge plus. From the dark tone to the slow motion, every shot has that feeling of being thought out beforehand and this aids the storytelling nicely.

    The cast is another asset. The young actors and actresses that make up the student body all shine as they successfully display the possible cruelty of teens. Ultimately, Takako Matsu is the star of the show and she ends up carrying the picture right from the get go.

    Despite its depressing theme, Confessions is an example of great film making.
  • Junnerayemalinao2012
    April 6, 2012
    Junnerayemalinao2012
    Mindblowing piece of japanese masterpiece. Confessions sure brought the very intriguing premise in a very satisfying tale of terror. With twists and turns that seems never ending, it's great acting especially with their young actors, Confessions truly captivated me, and most impo... read morertantly, terrified me with a powerful conclusion.

View All Confessions (Kokuhaku) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Philip French
February 22, 2011
Philip French, Guardian [UK]

A difficult film to like, an impossible one not to grudgingly admire. Full Review

David Edwards
February 18, 2011
David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]

You'll need caffeine on an IV drip to survive it. Full Review

Henry Fitzherbert
February 18, 2011
Henry Fitzherbert, Daily Express

A confusing and rather daft Japanese mystery/horror yarn... Full Review

Peter Bradshaw
February 17, 2011
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

I have to say that, despite its effective opening premise and some interestingly spacey mood-alterations and tonal shifts, I found it overcooked and overwrought, and sometimes quite implausible... Full Review

Shaun Munro
February 17, 2011
Shaun Munro, What Culture

The incredible first act boasts more horror, surprise and intrigue than most fully-formed features, and though the subsequent hour never feels as concise or gathered, this is a potent, almost unbearab... Full Review

Virginie Sélavy
February 17, 2011
Virginie Sélavy, Electric Sheep

Nakashima's most accomplished film to date. Full Review

Dominic Radcliffe
February 17, 2011
Dominic Radcliffe, Little White Lies

An engaging and undeniably interesting slant on the source of vendetta and the psychology behind violence and cruelty. Full Review

David Parkinson
February 17, 2011
David Parkinson, Radio Times

An audacious exhibition of cinematic ingenuity and control. Full Review

Matthew Turner
February 16, 2011
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon

Impressively directed and beautifully shot, this is a superbly written thriller with strong performances and a terrific soundtrack, though the relentless barrage of twists and turns is ultimately both... Full Review

Tom Huddleston
February 16, 2011
Tom Huddleston, Time Out

'Confessions' may be too grimly cynical to convince fully, but its combination of visual excess, dark wit, random violence, psychological insight and raw emotional intensity is intoxicating. Full Review

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