Skip to main content

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
 Freddy's Movie Review
***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.

Our blog is currently being updated regularly!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Straw (2025)

Plot Summary: Janiyah Wiltkinson (Taraji P. Henson), a desperate single mother of a seriously ill daughter, spirals through eviction, job loss, and tragedy in one catastrophic day. In a last-ditch attempt to get medicine, she starts a bank standoff — but a shocking twist reveals her daughter actually died hours earlier, and Janiyah has been dissociating from reality. Eventually, with support from a bank manager and detective, she surrenders peacefully amid growing public sympathy. Director & Writer: Tyler Perry Producer(s): Tyler Perry Cinematography: Justyn Moro Music: Dara Taylor Editing: Nick Coker Cast: Taraji P. Henson as Janiyah Wiltkinson Sherri Shepherd as Nicole (bank manager) Teyana Taylor as Detective Raymond Sinbad as Benny Glynn Turman as Richard (Janiyah’s boss) Rockmond Dunbar as Chief Wilson Ashley Versher as Tessa  ...

Deep Cover (2025)

Plot Summary: An improv comedy teacher (Bryce Dallas Howard) and two of her students (Orlando Bloom, Nick Mohammed) are recruited by a corrupt cop (Sean Bean) to go undercover. They infiltrate London's criminal world, using their acting skills to catch a gang, only to find themselves deeper in danger and needing to improvise their way out. Director: Tom Kingsley Screenplay: Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly, Ben Ashenden, Alexander Owen Producers: Colin Trevorrow, Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald Music: Daniel Pemberton Cinematography: Will Hanke Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard as Kat Boyles Orlando Bloom as Marlon Swift Nick Mohammed as Hugh Sean Bean as DS Graham Billings Paddy Considine as Fly Ian McShane as Metcalfe Sonoya Mizuno as Shosh Studio / Distributor: Metronome Film Company, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation / Amazon Prime Video ...

Echo Valley (2025)

Plot Summary: Grieving widow Kate Garrett (J. Moore) struggles to keep her Pennsylvania horse farm afloat after losing her wife. When her estranged, drug-addicted daughter Claire (S. Sweeney) returns bloodied and in distress, a gripping thriller unfolds as Kate fights to protect her child, confronting escalating danger, moral dilemmas, and the lengths a mother will go to save her kids. Director: Michael Pearce Screenplay: Brad Ingelsby Producers: Brad Ingelsby, Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Kevin J. Walsh Music: Jed Kurzel Cinematography: Benjamin Kračun Starring: Julianne Moore as Kate Garrett Sydney Sweeney as Claire Garrett Domhnall Gleeson as Jackie Kyle MacLachlan as Richard Garrett Fiona Shaw as Jessie Oliver Edmund Donovan as Ryan   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Cheese, Wine and Echo Valley Alright, so picture this. It’s a ...

Friendship (2024)

Plot Summary: Suburban dad Craig Waterman (Tim Robinson) becomes obsessed with new neighbor Austin Carmichael (Paul Rudd). A quirky bromance spirals into a cringe-filled, emotional unraveling as Craig struggles with boundaries and rejection. Director & Writer: Andrew DeYoung Producer(s): Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Johnny Holland, Nick Weidenfeld Music: Keegan DeWitt Cinematography: Andy Rydzewski Editing: Sophie Corra Starring: Tim Robinson as Craig Waterman Paul Rudd as Austin Carmichael Kate Mara as Tami Waterman Jack Dylan Grazer as Steven Waterman Josh Segarra, Billy Bryk, Jason Veasey and others   ***SPOILER ALERT*** A Wild Ride into Unhinged Genius Alright, instant noodles, shrimp flavor, done. Now for the actual love letter to Friendship, that magnificent, fucked-up black comedy that quite literally brought Tim R...

Moana 2 (2024)

Plot Summary: Moana, now a master wayfinder, sets sail with her new crew to restore the lost island Motufetu and reconnect ocean tribes. Directors: David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller Producers: Christina Chen, Yvett Merino (with Jennifer Lee credited on fandom) Screenplay: Written by Jared Bush & Dana Ledoux Miller; story by Bush, Miller & Bek Smith Starring (voice cast): Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana Dwayne Johnson as Maui Hualālai Chung as Moni Rose Matafeo as Loto David Fane as Kele Awhimai Fraser as Matangi Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Simea Alan Tudyk as Heihei Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui Nicole Scherzinger as Sina   ***SPOILER ALERT*** Back to the Ocean, But With Cautious Toes Saturday after lunch, full belly, and we hit play on Moana 2. If you’ve read my love letter to the first movie, you know it h...

Europe's Lithium Paradox (2025)

Plot Summary: This eye-opening documentary explores Europe's struggle to harness its own lithium resources for clean energy. Although rich in lithium reserves, the continent relies heavily on imports. The film examines environmental concerns, community resistance, and growing calls for sustainable and socially responsible mining practices. Director: Stijn van Baarle Presenter: Peter Tom Jones Production Company: Journeyman Pictures, Storyrunner, SIM² KU Leuven Runtime: 56 minutes Original Language: English Featuring: Peter Tom Jones (Self)   ***SPOILER ALERT*** First Impressions from the Portuguese Trenches Let me just say it straight: this documentary is a slap in the face. We’re being f*cked over. Our land, our hills, our Barroso, is getting auctioned off to some British company that plans to drill hole after miserable hole like it's a goddamn dartbo...