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Bookmark this pageDeath Note (2006)
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Movie review
From Time Out London
Someone is killing Japan’s most notorious criminals: murderers, drug dealers, corrupt politicians, each one collapsing of a fatal heart attack with no clue as to the identity of the killer, or his methods. A cult springs up: to some, the mysterious executioner is an avenging angel, to others a brutal vigilante. He is, in fact, law student Light Yagami, whose possession of the mysterious ‘Death Note’ allows him to kill anyone, anywhere, at any time.Adapted from a popular Japanese TV series (itself inspired by a long running manga), ‘Death Note’ carries a lot of narrative baggage, populated with enigmatic characters and sporting random subplots seemingly unconnected to the main narrative.
But such a history also lends the film weight and confidence, its complex mythology convincingly mapped out. The first half moves at a breakneck pace as Light’s killing spree gathers momentum. But towards the end things grow darker and more complex, leading to a satisfyingly emotive and unresolved finale and leaving the door wide for the inevitable and welcome sequel.
Author: Tom Huddleston
Time Out London Issue 1966 April 24-30, 2008
User reviews of this film
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- John said...
- Posted on Apr 26 2008 17:55 One of the best Japanese films I have seen....Can't wait for the follow up!
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- yduric said...
- Posted on Apr 24 2008 12:31 I do perfectly well understand why this film belong's to Timeout's critics' choice: it is extremely well crafted and once again shows a very good characteristic gaining more and more ground in contemporary japanese cinema: a great originality, mixed with what I would call a 'refreshing clever and healthy' madness. This film is really fascinating. By the way, I can inform you that the sequel was actually released in Japan only a couple of months ater the first film, and I am eagerly waiting for its release in Europe.
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Cast & crew
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Asaka Seto
Genre(s): Horror
Rated: 15
Duration: 126 mins
UK Release: Apr 25 2008
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