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Saimin

  • 1999
  • 1h 50m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
716
YOUR RATING
Saimin (1999)
FantasyHorrorThriller

Three apparently unrelated suicides occur on the same day in Tokyo. One involves a young athlete, one a groom at his wedding reception, and the third an elderly man celebrating his wife's bi... Read allThree apparently unrelated suicides occur on the same day in Tokyo. One involves a young athlete, one a groom at his wedding reception, and the third an elderly man celebrating his wife's birthday. A middle aged detective investigating one of the cases begins to suspect a connect... Read allThree apparently unrelated suicides occur on the same day in Tokyo. One involves a young athlete, one a groom at his wedding reception, and the third an elderly man celebrating his wife's birthday. A middle aged detective investigating one of the cases begins to suspect a connection between the three when he discovers that each person mentioned a "green monkey" before... Read all

  • Director
    • Masayuki Ochiai
  • Writers
    • Yasushi Fukuda
    • Keisuke Matsuoka
    • Masayuki Ochiai
  • Stars
    • Gorô Inagaki
    • Miho Kanno
    • Takeshi Masu
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.1/10
    716
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Masayuki Ochiai
    • Writers
      • Yasushi Fukuda
      • Keisuke Matsuoka
      • Masayuki Ochiai
    • Stars
      • Gorô Inagaki
      • Miho Kanno
      • Takeshi Masu
    • 14User reviews
    • 16Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Photos6

    Saimin (1999)
    Saimin (1999)
    Saimin (1999)
    Saimin (1999)
    Saimin (1999)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gorô Inagaki
    Gorô Inagaki
    • Toshiya Saga
    Miho Kanno
    • Yuka Irie
    Takeshi Masu
    • Jissoji
    Ken Utsui
    • Sakurai
    Yuki Watanabe
    • Mitsui
    Shigemitsu Ogi
    • Kuraishi
    Kenta Satoi
    Noborou Shirai
    Tadao Nakamura
    Katsumi Takahashi
    Yûko Andô
    Yôzaburô Itô
    • Man in bank
    Masahiro Kômoto
    Masahiro Kômoto
    Tadao Nakamaru
    Tadao Nakamaru
    Albert Smith
    • Bartender
    Takashi Ukaji
    Takashi Ukaji
    • Director
      • Masayuki Ochiai
    • Writers
      • Yasushi Fukuda
      • Keisuke Matsuoka
      • Masayuki Ochiai
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews14

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    3/10
    Routine stuff, but done to a turn
    SAIMIN

    (USA: The Hypnotist /UK: Hypnosis)

    Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

    Sound format: Dolby Stereo SR

    Following a series of bizarre and apparently unrelated 'suicides', an experienced Tokyo detective (Ken Utsui) enlists the help of a young psychoanalyst (Goro Inagaki) who believes the victims were acting on a post-hypnotic suggestion. But their subsequent investigations reveal an even darker force at work, linked to a young girl (Miho Kanno) whose life has been blighted by sadistic abuse...

    Based on a novel by Keisuke Matsuoka, this densely-plotted mystery takes inspiration from a variety of sources (Italian gialli, traditional Japanese ghost stories, etc.), though some of the images in the climactic showdown reveal a more immediate influence: The recent commercial success of Hideo Nakata's RING (1998). For all its ambition, however, SAIMIN is a routine potboiler which stumbles badly after a powerhouse opening (the 'suicides' are particularly impressive, despite some feeble CGI effects), though director Masayuki Ochiai - who co-wrote the script with Yasushi Fukuda - rallies proceedings for an extended finale in which the narrative's startling secrets are finally revealed. Ochiai is best known for his film adaptation of novel-turned-video-game PARASITE EVE (1997) - which also starred leading man Inagaki (a member of Japanese pop group SMAP) - and while SAIMIN echoes that movie's strong visual sense, it falls short as drama, and most of the characters are mere ciphers, undermining the storyline's emotional pay-off. Which is a shame, because the final half hour is galvanized by a series of dynamic set-pieces - most notably, a concert hall sequence in which Dvorak's 'New World' symphony is transformed into an instrument of murder! - and Ochiai is well-served by an excellent production team. However, those lured by the promise of gory carnage may be disappointed - the film is long on atmospherics and short on splatter.

    Performances are varied, due to the script's limitations, but Kanno (TOMIE) is outstanding as a young woman suffering from multiple personality disorder - which, the subtitles on the print under review assures us, isn't recognized as a viable medical condition in Japan! - who falls prey to a sleazy TV hypnotist (Takeshi Masu), a prime suspect in the murders. Inagaki is bland in a one-dimensional role, and he's constantly upstaged by Utsui, a veteran performer whose career stretches back to the "Sûpâ Jaiantsu" series of the 1950's.

    (Japanese dialogue)
    helpful•6
    3
    • Libretio
    • Jan 25, 2005

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 5, 1999 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Language
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
      • The Hypnotist
    • Production companies
      • Toho Pictures
      • Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 50 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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