Confessions: Kokuhaku (2010)

Like I have been doing for several years now with documentaries, I am now starting to watch more foreign films. Films shortlisted by failing to get a nomination. With 80+ submissions [one each from most major countries] there are a lot to choose from. For an LFR first I'll plug my favorite blog to read, writer Dzong2 has a blog he just calls Foreign Films, and what he lacks in a creative title for a blog he makes up for in some extensive analysis on the foreign film race. Of his 9 predictions for the final 5, he ranked this one 4th, so I gave it a shot since it did not get a nomination.

The film starts out frantic, a busheling classroom is ignoring a teacher as she hands out milk to the class on the last day of the term. She is telling them a story about her daughter who drowned earlier in the school year and has a convincing argument that it was not accidental.

Her conclusions and revenge are shocking, enough to almost put this in a horror/thriller category. The problem with the film for me was the unbelievable reactions of the two kids. The film is kind of broken into three parts as we get "confessions" from multiple characters that all come together in a thrilling conclusion. I can see why this was not given a nomination, and even found it to be a strange submission in the first place. It was however an Asian Film finalist along with winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, and China's submission Aftershock.

Vote: 4/10

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590089/

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