Golden Slumber (2010)

Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Producers: Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Akiko Ikuno
Screenplay: Yoshihiro Nakamura, Tamio Hayashi

Starring:
Masato Sakai as Aoyagi
Yuko Takeuchi as Haruko
Gaku Hamada as Kill-O
Hidetaka Yoshioka as Morita
Toshiyuki Nishida as Hayakawa
Teruyuki Kagawa as Watabe
Akira Emoto as Mr. Tanaka

Music: Kazuyoshi Saito
Cinematography: Takashi Komatsu
Editing: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Release Date: January 30, 2010 (Japan)
Running Time: 139 minutes
Language: Japanese

 

***SPOILER ALERT***

Reinvigorating My Faith in Cinema

Here we are for another week dedicated to a movie director. We're off to Japan with Yoshihiro Nakamura. Golden Slumber is so good that I've started believing in great powers from above and all around. After watching so much crap from Luc Besson, my bad karma was exhausted, and I was presented with this MASTERPIECE! Where to even start?! This is what perfect direction looks like. The characters are all wonderful: Masato Sakai is Aoyagi, embodying a 100% nice and kind person, who's framed for assassinating the prime minister. Yuko Takeuchi is lovely as his former lover and true friend. Gaku Hamada as the serial killer is tremendous with his martial art moves and big forehead. Hidetaka as Morita opens your curiosity to the movie right away, and you feel sad for him going so fast. Nagashima Toshiyuki is scary as the shotgun guy. Kagawa Teruyuki is the perfect shadow government official. Shibukawa is the perfect rock n' roller. Every supporting role is perfect, really.

A Contemporary Masterpiece

The story is amazing, and I can't wait to buy the book just to smile at its cover. It's a contemporary story about the media and how gullible the public is. True art. The music is awesome, with excellent fade-ins, abrupt stops, amazing little sound details in silent scenes, and of course, the BEATLES' "Golden Slumbers" in a Japanese accent. (standing up and applauding). You know I love the Beatles. Cinematography is beautiful, from the golden glows in past memories to the shot of the yellow Toyota in the middle of the grass. Action scenes are wonderful; that car explosion where Morita dies is glorious. You could even criticize the unrealistic silly fireworks coming from the sewers, but how can you? With such a beautiful story, it's the perfect surreal escape plan!

The Perfect Score

How can a movie where the main character loved one ends up marrying another guy be so romantic! I definitely need to read Kōtarō Isaka's books! The friendship between the characters is so inspiring. The comedy is genius, the suspense is thrilling, and the drama hits the core. I was crying with the father's message. I could watch this movie again tomorrow and this runs for two hours and thirt minutes! I'm eager to watch this movie together with my loved one and show it to my kids someday. This is the second movie getting a perfect score here at Cine's It. I absolutely love it, and I will have a good day tomorrow, I'm sure. And the Beatles' Abbey Road is gonna blast in my car! Thank you, Nakamura Yoshihiro. 本当にありがとうございます.

🎥 Cinematography (10/10):

The visuals are simply breathtaking, from the dynamic camera movements and angles to the intriguing city of Sendai, which happens to be the hometown of the novel’s author, Kotaro Isaka.

📖 Story (10/10):

A contemporary tale about media manipulation and public gullibility, this story is both captivating and thought-provoking. A must-read book for sure!

🎬 Direction (10/10):

Yoshihiro Nakamura delivers a masterclass in direction, perfectly balancing comedy, suspense, and drama to create a compelling and immersive experience.

👥 Characters (10/10):

The characters are all wonderfully crafted and portrayed. From Masato Sakai's kind and innocent Aoyagi to Gaku Hamada's tremendous performance as a serial killer, every role is memorable.

💥 Visual Effects (10/10):

The visual effects are secondary but I can't forget that car explosion. The fireworks can seem a little bit off but I'm not downgrading the score because of that.

🎭 Acting (10/10):

The acting is top-notch. Each actor brings their character to life with authenticity and emotion.

💬 Dialogue (10/10):

The dialogues are sharp, witty, and meaningful. Each conversation adds to the depth of the characters and the narrative.

🌍 Setting/Atmosphere (10/10):

We are in Sedai, urban Japan, running all over the city and visiting all sorts of places.

🎵 Music (10/10):

Rock n' Roll, straight forward! Let's go!

😄 Entertainment Value (10/10):

This movie is a joy to watch from start to finish.

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