Lumsdal
Good , But It Is Overrated By Some
Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Jakoba
True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.
pinokiyo
The movie feels like "All About Lily Chou-Chou" (2001) meets "Battle Royale" (2000) and "Oldboy" (2003)I initially didn't really get the hype when I started watching it, but after finishing it and watching a second time, it's quite an unforgettable experience. It's quite tragic how one thing turns into another with a domino effect. It's sad but very true to reality how attention seeking cowardly criminals involve innocent victims to try to fulfill their empty void. It definitely stays with you. I would say it's definitely one of Japan's best films along with Battle Royale (Confessions' story is much deeper). I heard this film was similar to 2003 film Oldboy (incredible and one of my top favorite movies), so I decided to check it out; the similarity being that it's supposed to be a sweet revenge story. Actually even the editing cut from one similar action scene to another scene transition is used in both films. I wouldn't say this film is better than Oldboy. Personally, Oldboy was more engaging/mysterious from start to finish, but Confessions is psychologically also great in its on way with a right-back-at-you payback. Both films have brutal violent scenes. While Oldboy's curiosity is experiencing and wanting to know who the bad guy is just like the character is feeling, the movie Confessions straight out exposes who the bad guys are right from the start of the film; the movie's hook is finding out why the students did what they did and how the teacher is going to get her payback. The movie covers topics like bullying, vulnerability, puppet teacher, manipulations, parental trauma, the value of life...To be honest, the first time, it didn't really engage me from the start of the film, as I had a hard time getting into it because it felt more like a dream world/sequence with lots of student distractions going on while what felt like the teacher was just rambling on forever. However, when you watch the movie the second time, it makes a lot more sense and it's easier to follow. The entire movie image is stylistically shot as if it's a surreal dream/slow-mo music video, which can feel quite odd or distracting the first time around. I believe this style/surreal dream/feeling actually gives misdirection to the audience during the final scenes. (read spoiler if you've seen it) Great acting by the kids. Shunya fits perfectly as the troubled student. Ai Hashimoto is super cute.------------------------------- SPOILER ENDING: ------------------------------- When I first saw the film, I thought the explosion actually killed the mother. However, it seems to just be a point of view of the child's vision. It seems the teacher does not want to stoop to the child's level and physically harm anyone; just like she didn't actually put the HIV in the milk; she even mentions she had easily disarmed the bomb. (it's a bit slightly hard to assume she actually twisted/taped it back together and made it working again) Two things that bother me and maybe perhaps a plot hole, but the kid isn't too bright; first of all, he should make sure his bag/bomb is there before even making the speech (of course I know at the same time that would have less movie dramatic impact); second, he should call her bomb bluff again since the HIV milk was fake knowing he was HIV negative, especially since she said she disarmed it. ----------------------------------
tommywahlman
I liked this movie a lot, as with many Asian movies you think a lot during and after watching it.I don't find anything seriously bad with it, i seen people who feel annoyed by the slow motion scenes, but for me i felt thats exactly how the movie should be done and i also felt that the slow motion was due to the confessions being told in detail instead of real time as being told without specific detail, almost like when someone write in caps and you feel the person is screaming. So for me the slow motion was perfect.As always i get a weird feeling after seen a movie like this and this feeling has come in a flurry no as i watched this one, memories of matsuko, the world of Kanouko and memories of the sword, the latter one is a Korean movie and much lighter, but all of them makes you or at least me think.
Medysofyan
Imagine this: You are a teacher who has just discovered that two of your students are responsible for your daughter's death. Filled with anger and grief, you're more than ready to take your revenge. But what if the murderers are considered under-ages (middle school students), and they can't be punished fairly because the law protects them? That is the main plot of this Japanese psychological thriller from the brilliant director Tetsuya Nakashima. Confessions aka Kokuhaku, which is adapted from a debut novel by Kanae Minato, takes unfolding mysteries in a movie to a whole new level, like opening a box of intellectual surprises. As the story reveal the major character's confessions, the more I know about their motives, and made it hard for me to choose sides.I think Nakashima tries to show how dangerous kids could become if their parents don't treat them properly. In the era of internet and social media, children are prone to be influenced by bad contents if their parents don't guide them. As in Confessions, one of the murderers is a neglected kid who is incredibly smart, but turns into a devious criminal because the society (netizens) doesn't care about his good grades, but cheers to his bad-ass delinquency."Nobody taught me that killing people was wrong. Where other kids got read picture books and fairy tales, my mom taught me Ohm's Law and Norton's theorum. She only ever talked about electronics," Shuuya, a 13-year-old genius student who kills innocent people only for his nonchalant, career-oriented mother to notice him.The setting may resembles 'Elephant' by Gus Van Sant, or 'We Need to Talk about Kevin' by Lynne Ramsay. However, both of which focus on teenagers having mental illness and their insane violence. On the other hand, 'Confessions' portrays how a teacher explores under-aged criminal minds and gives them punishment that serves them right.The film's palette are dominated by black-and-grey colors, with clever play on details mostly showcase middle school student stuffs, perfectly blended by dark, engaging soundtracks. The tone, art and theme somehow reminds me of Richard Ayoade's work in 'Submarine'. I must say the soundtracks are top-notch and sometimes add cuteness and quirk to bloody scenes. The only flaw is too much slow-motion and repetitive scenes though sometimes effective to deliver emotions.On the whole, 'Confessions' is a bleak, savage and mind-blowing thriller that takes on heavy subjects in coming age realm, with engrossing story lines and arousing life-lesson quotes.
MattBirk
When Confessions revealed very early on who the killers are that murdered the teacher's daughter, I immediately had my doubts about how the movie would keep my attention since we knew the identity of the killers. But to my surprise, Confessions kept my attention majority of the time with its unique narrative structure, even if the middle chapter was a tad convoluted. The process of giving us a bit of information set both before and after the events of the murder were quite engrossing to say the least.Considering the narrative is jumbled around quite a bit, as in the movie jumps back and forth in time revealing tiny pieces of information, there are times when the story is sort of difficult to follow. Remembering who said what and how other characters were affected by certain characters actions are at times difficult to follow. But that is not to say Confessions is bad, in fact, it's this type of storytelling that makes the movie tick while being simultaneously compelling. We may know who the murders are, but we don't quite know why they did it nor their fate now that they have been exposed. And it's these questions that get expanded on in great detail as the movie progresses to a wonderful climax. At times, the movie is a bit more improbable than it probably wants to be, but it sure makes for good storytelling. Eventually, all the pieces come together in the final act and we are now left with two very bizarre, ending scenarios.On a side note, what kind of school are they at where kids run rampant at all times? The entire class was so out of line, they showed no signs of respect, nor did there seem to be any type of repercussions for their actions. I have no idea how society works overseas but if it is anything like in this movie, their teachers should be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Seriously, everyone in the movie was either talking or texting while the teacher was talking or leaving the classroom at any given moment to go bully some other student. The amount of bullying in the movie is staggering (but I'm sure that's the point).Confessions is a very dark movie about revenge that works quite well because of how the director structures the story. It's both shocking and quite moving and fed to the audience in an unusual way that makes it worth watching. Because of this type of structure, Confessions has plenty of tricks up its sleeve and it works at keeping the audience on the edge of their seat.
