:
Koji Yakusho,
Koji Yakusho,
Tsuyoshi Ujiki,
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:
Kiyoshi Kurosawa,
Kiyoshi Kurosawa
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: Homevision
: Drama, Foreign, Suspense/Thriller, Japan, Crime, Cops
: 111 min.
: Japanese
: English
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Oddball Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa directed this haunting police thriller about murder, mind control, and the power of charisma. Police Detective Takabe (Koji Yakusho) is tracking a series of bizarre murders, all committed in exactly the same manner: a giant X is slashed in the flesh of the victims. But that's where the similarities end. In each case, seemingly well-adjusted people suddenly kill without understanding why. Baffled, Takabe consults his psychologist friend Sakuma (Tsuyoshi Ujiki), who finds no relationships among the perpetrators and rules out any connection with the media. The investigation eventually leads to a young drifter named Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), who asks everyone he meets the same simple question: "Who are you?" Usually people respond with such stock answers as "doctor" or "police detective," to which the drifter responds with the same question. Part of Mamiya's reason for this bizarre behavior is that he has been turned inside-out; his interior world is completely empty. He has no memory, no identity, and he does not recognize his own self-image. Yet he does have an insidious, hypnotic ability to get inside the minds of others and unleash their repressed desires to murder. His victims' inability to answer Mamiya's maddeningly simple question shows their own tenuous grasp of their identity. Only Takabe seems to understand the other meaning behind Mamiya's query. His wife Fumie (Anna Nakagawa)'s own personality is slowly being destroyed by mental illness, making her act in increasingly inexplicable ways. Frustrated by Mamiya's sphinx-like ability to fend off the most rigorous interrogation, and yet drawn to his charms, Takabe undergoes a journey into the dark recesses of his own self, while slowly uncovering the secrets of the drifter's power. This film, which first brought international attention to Kurosawa, transcends the boundaries of its genre to become a riveting exploration of the collapse of identity in a postmodern age. It was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival as a part of the Director's Spotlight. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
Also check out our New Asian Horror primer.
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| Creepy. Marvelous.
by butterdiver
January 27, 2008 - 1:03 PM PST
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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A flawed hero versus an insane villain. Sounds like a cliche to you? Maybe it is, but Kiyoshi Kurosawa just does it better. This is a simpler answer to Seven; the plot of 'Cure' lacks the intricasies of 'Seven', but the intent is still there. The cinematography is excellent. Kurasawa is consistent in his atmospheres. He puts you just where you need to be, and at just the right time. The result is fascinating.
I was a reminded of The X-Files at several points. The hero just finds himself "discovering" clues with no real explanation as to how. If you were able to ignore that in The X-files, then you can do it here. The villain is a bit too detached for my liking- not so much evil as just.. uncomprehending and aloof.
If it sounds like I'm knocking 'Cure', I'm not. Despite its flaws, this movie is light-years better than most American crime/suspense flicks. If you like the genre, then 'Cure' is absolutely worth your time.
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| It's always the quiet ones --
by GGoodsell
March 27, 2005 - 7:14 PM PST
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1 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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Some very proper Japanese citizens are turning to murder most foul. They have no reason or memory of doing so, and the land is soon in the grip of panic. Policemen turn their guns against one another, polite business women peel the faces off of passerby, and officials are at a loss as to why. It turns out that it's all over this wimpy, ineffectual student who couldn't get himself arrested who's taken up hypnotism as a hobby. It's always the quiet ones ... and it's up to our policeman hero to save the day.
CURE is on the edge of most J-horror. It's neither the best nor the worst -- but it has some elements of the very best of this particular genre. It has the flat, even tone of RINGKU and some of the most unpleasant violence (shown very fleetingly for effect) this side of GUINEA PIG. The film is ultimately too slow -- and the payoff not worth the buildup -- but you could do much, much worse.
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| It stays with you ... with you ... with you ... with you
by robotpill
January 7, 2005 - 9:41 PM PST
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1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
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| Through the power of suggestion a mysterious young man convinces others to kill. Certainly unique among crime dramas this movie doesn't use cliché killer P.O.V. - "coming to get you" tricks. The scares are subtle. What is most intriguing is the mystery behind the drifter and his power to control everyone he comes into contact with. An unconventional serial killer movie where not every detail is spoon-fed. It will take several viewings to make sense of it but it is well worth your time. Watch for that last scene. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.08)
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