124. The Third Murder (Sandome no satsujin); movie review

THE THIRD MURDER (SANDOME NO SATSUJIN)
Cert 15
125 mins
BBFC advice: Brief strong violence

The poster above promises much and the opening scene of The Third Murder certainly throws in a big bomb - but does it live up to the anticipation?
Well, it is not a 'masterpiece' as suggestion by its pre-publicity but I would agree that it could be described as both mysterious and profound.
And I certainly remarked to Mrs W on how each of the characters is either handsome or pretty, depending on their gender.
However, in my view, its pace does let it down. 
With the exception of Our Little Sister, I have been a fan of director Hirokazu Koreeda's recent work (I really have become a film nerd, haven't I?).
He creates a backdrop which never fails to prompt me to tell Mrs W how much I would like to visit Japan (if it weren't so ludicrously expensive to do so).
And he tackles myriad subjects - this time going for the apparently hopeless assignment of trying to defend a killer who has already admitted to murder.
Fukuyama Masaharu's character is tasked with trying to knock down the prosecution's charge so that his client (Kôji Yakusho) can avoid the death penalty.
But the further his investigation delves, the more he believes in the possibility that the latter may not have committed the crime at all.
The Third Murder is a complex film which, typically of Koreeda, uses unique cultural and moral tone of Japan as a thread for what would otherwise be a straightforward thriller.
But, in my view, it doesn't hit the heights of other Koreeda work such as the family dramas, After The Storm, Like Father Like Son and I Wish.
Nevertheless, fans will still see merit, just as I did, in its quietly accomplished style.

Reasons to watch: Koreeda fans will see merit in it
Reasons to avoid: Lingers too long over certain scenes

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Director quote - Hirokazu Koreeda: "In order to get the kind of script that I wanted, I had seven lawyers get together over several months and have them do various, sort of, mock trials or mock interviews of the criminal and things like that."

The big question - Why is the truth seen as so unimportant in so many legal systems?

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