REEL JAPAN

Score: 10/10

Directed by Koreeda Hirokazu and written by Sakamoto Yuji, MONSTER ranks as the best of Koreeda’s films thus far. It is a masterclass in the cinema of multiple perspectives. Ando Sakura (SHOPLIFTERS, REBOOTING) plays Saori, a widow who raises her son Minato in a small town in Japan. Her son develops issues that bring her into a collision course with a young teacher, Hori Sensei, played by Nagayama Eita. Ando, as always, embodies her role as a frustrated parent up against impenetrable bureaucracy. She could carry the film easily if it were her role to do so. 

Nagayama Eita is one of those actors who is not everyone’s cup of tea. He excels at playing awkward misfits. Perhaps it is his off-kilter delivery of lines. Despite these qualities he often takes leading-man roles and frequently appears in chanbara films including annual NHK taiga productions. Here he is perfectly cast as a teacher who is accused of disturbing behavior and may be well out of his depth. His performance holds the film together as perspectives change like shifting sands. The two child actors, Kurokawa Soya (KOKUHO, AFTER THE QUAKE) as Minato and Hiiragi Hinata (DEAR RADIANCE) as Yori, deliver stunning performances worthy of accolades. 

The ending of MONSTER and its editing has caused controversy, prompting the filmmakers to feel the need to speak out about their intentions. My own interpretation is that due to the nighttime passage of the storm, the failed rescue attempt, and the presence of vibrant daylight in the final shot, certain characters are no longer alive. That gives the film extra poignancy. I believe if the filmmakers had wanted to indicate otherwise, these characters would have needed to extricate themselves before daybreak, but that is just my take. 

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