The law’s got a face... but It’s hiding!
Faceless / Shotai is a suspenseful crime drama that highlights just how flawed and corrupted the justice system can be and how it affects the innocent.It's a story of Kaburagi who is wrongly accused of murder and has escaped prison, becoming a fugitive. Throughout his journey he meets several people, each with a new identity, to find answers on his own when the system fails him, earning the trust from all of them. Faceless was an appropriate english title for this.
There is an eerie tension surrounding everyone, whether it’s the suspect or those investigating them.
The background score was really on point, adding a lot to the suspense without being too extra. It totally helped build the vibe and kept things tense in the best way.
The only issue for me was the pacing. The first half felt extremely slow compared to the climatic second half. They were trying to paint a picture in the first half, but it could be expedited a bit. And maybe they could have provided more context about Kaburagi and his background to help connect more with him as a character.
The acting across the board looked solid with everyone fitting perfectly into their roles. No one seemed out of place or unsynchronized. Yokohama Ryusei particularly stood out in the emotional scenes.
Overall, this was a good movie that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end, questioning some serious flaws on how law works and serious consequences of turning a blind eye.
Note: I have neither read the novel nor seen the series, so this review is based solely on the movie, without any prior background.
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Life On The Run With Plenty To Keep You Engaged
Shotai deals with what happens to someone who is wrongfully convicted of a heinous crime, and finds themselves on death row and then manages to escape. It also has a parallel story regarding what has happened to the FL’s father who has faced injustice, the show’s main theme. It would seem the Japanese detectives are biased, although troubled by past events from earlier investigations into the ML.The film is a slick production and the two hours passes by quickly. Our protagonist, although on the run, is seeking the truth of what happened that lead to his arrest and subsequent trial. During his life on the run, he adopts different disguises, works in different jobs, but his personality remains consistent throughout - he is kind and thoughtful.
Although we don’t get to see much regarding the legal side, apart from court scenes, show undersells how the Japanese justice system works -which is different to what little we see on screen. In this respect, I marked the movie down half a star for this very point. However, it doesn’t detract from the overall enjoyment of this movie.
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Touching.
Shotai is a slow-paced movie with a happy, satisfying ending. It's sad, intense, and makes you emotional. I was mostly agitated because I was scared for what was about to come and was rooting for Kaburagi, but it was worth the suspense.The acting is magnificent, and the cast are excellent in their roles. I could feel their emotions through the screen, such as the fear in Jump's eyes and the regret in Mai's face. The camerawork and cinematography is beautiful. I was immersed and amazed by the beauty of Japan in some shots.
What I love the most about this movie is that it reflects how corrupt and incompetent the police are. I hope justice will prevail for the falsely accused, especially the death row inmates.
I wish they showed what happened to the police involved in Kaburagi's case, but the ending is good enough for me to pay no mind to it.
Even though it takes a long time for the story to unfold and the truth to unravel, Shotai remains an engaging and intriguing watch. I recommend this movie to people who don't mind a slow-paced watch, especially those looking for a drama-centred crime movie.
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Its a survival story
Damn, nothing crazy about it but it was well done. You could say the story was ok and it definitely felt like one of those stories where the theme is the survival of someone stranded on somewhere. You get my point. A miraculous survival story. The MC is extremely lucky to have met the people he became friends with. Because at every point of the story it could've been up for him. Still, I don't mind it cause how else is the story going to progress. Just like I said it's a survival story. Nothing else really, it's ok and well done, it's not bad or boring, well depending on the watcher. It's ok for a one time watch if you have nothing to watch.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
