Review for Confessions (Review)

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Introduction
I've had a hundred percent appreciation of the films of Tetsuya Nakashima so far, although given that to date, only two have been released in the UK, that may not be as all encompassing a statement as it should be. But there was something about that first film, Kamikaze Girls that really appealed to me. There was a whimsical visual excess, a sense of pure fun and delight, and a profusion of colour and insanity that actually provoked me to triple dip in my search for a suitable version of the film. The same was true for the second film that I saw, Memories of Matsuko, a darker and more dramatic tale, which compensated by increasing the visual saturation, and introducing a musical element. A disappointing DVD was followed by a far more satisfying Blu-ray earlier this year. So you can imagine that I have been looking forward to his next film Confessions with an unhealthy avarice. This time though, it's a film that has threatened to break out of the niche market, getting the thumbs up from Film 2011 no less, and a 'limited' cinema release which actually has been more extensive than those given to the usual multiplex mainstays. I didn't take any chances this time; I went straight for the Blu-ray review disc.

A rowdy class of 13-year-olds and a dispirited teacher who has little interest in controlling them. For Yuko Moriguchi though, there is little reason to make an effort given that this is her last day as a teacher, and she's quitting the profession. But as she hands out the cartons of milk, she has one final lesson to impart to her students, and surprisingly given their unruly nature, they are soon paying rapt attention to what Miss Moriguchi has to say. Yuko Moriguchi has had more than her fair share of tragedy. She wanted to marry, but the man she loved discovered he was HIV positive, and then developed full-blown AIDS. Yet luckily the two managed to conceive and have a healthy and beautiful daughter, Manami.

To avoid the social stigma, she decided to raise Manami as a single mother, juggling work and home life, somehow making ends meet and making the time to dote on her daughter. That was until the day that Manami wandered away from the school infirmary, where she usually waited for her mother to finish work, and was found drowned in the school pool. It was ruled a tragic accident, but Yuko Moriguchi soon learned the truth. She knew that her daughter was murdered, and she knew that the killers were students in her class. She also knew that the country's lax laws on juvenile crime would mean that they would escape serious punishment even if they were prosecuted. So Miss Moriguchi decided to take justice into her own hands. As the class hears their teacher's confession, an elaborate retribution falls into place.

Picture
I know that this is only the third Blu-ray film I have seen from beginning to end, but if they all look this spectacular, I'm going to be increasingly lost for words when it comes to reviewing a disc's technical qualities. The 1.85:1 widescreen image is for want of a better word, perfect. The detail is astounding, black levels are strong and consistent, and the sheer beauty of the cinematography comes across with breathtaking accuracy. I know that comparing this to the few clips of the film on the extras DVD, soft and standards converted, exacerbated by being a DVD-R, is hardly fair, but given the choice between Blu-ray and DVD, it really is no choice at all. Tetsuya Nakashima opted to shoot certain scenes using a high-speed camera, and scenes of rainfall, of children blowing soap bubbles, of glass breaking, and of the film's dramatic climax really ought to be seen in high definition. Anything less just doesn't do it justice.

The PR images used in this review aren't necessarily representative of the final Blu-ray release.

Sound
You have DTS-HD Master Audio Japanese, with optional English subtitles. The sound is vivid and engrossing from the off, with careful attention brought to the film's sound design. When just being in the classroom is such an immersive experience, with the jostle and chatter of the class surrounding the teacher as she moves through the room, then you can imagine that the rest of the film will be as equally well designed. That said, it isn't an overblown soundtrack, just subtle enough to remain beneath your conscious notice. The film gets the support of an eclectic selection of pop music, including a haunting track from Radiohead, most appropriate for the film's subject matter. The dialogue is clear throughout, and the subtitles are timed well and free of error.

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