Masayuki Suo's new film seriously applaused by lawyers

Masayuki Suo's next film, "I Just Didn't Do It" held a special screening for Japan Federation of Bar Associations members on Christmas Day, by an unprecedented special request by JFBA, with Director Suo and the actress Asaka Seto who plays the young lawyer in the film greeting the attendees.  The film depicts the tough court fight of a young man who falsely accused of groping a girl in a crowded train.  With the jury system just about to be introduced in Japan by 2009, JFBA wanted to show it as a great case study for their member attorneys, trainees and law students.  200 of them showed up, so Director Suo was a bit nervous how they receive it, but the lawyers all praised the film as realistic and clear depiction of the current problems in Japanese court system. 

My previous article about this film is here.

I watched this film at AFM in November.  I cannot judge the quality of the movie, as I am not an expert on that, but I was totally shocked by the problem that was presented in the story.  And even though the theme is so heavy and sober, with no dramatic scenes, I had no moment to be bored till the end, probably by the superb acting of the actors, at least partly - Ryo Kase ("Letters from Iwo Jima"), Seto, Koji Yakusho, Masako Motai and many others.  If you can also bear with the "fan" side of me for a moment, please also look to Koji Yamamoto who plays the buddy of the main character.  He was a little-known stage actor till he played the second biggest role in NHK's historical drama "Shinsengumi" in 2004, when his popularity just exploded.  I could not set my eyes off from him AT ALL during this long drama series.  He is definitely one of the hot upcoming Japanese actors.

Source:  Eiga.com