Golden Slumber (2010)

Aoyagi meets an old friend and ends up framed for the murder of the prime minister.

Director:

Yoshihiro Nakamura

Writer:

Kôtarô Isaka (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Yûko Takeuchi, Nao Ohmori, Teruyuki Kagawa

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Yûko Takeuchi	...	Higuchi Haruko
Nao Ohmori	...	Higuchi Nobuyuki (as Nao Ômori)
Teruyuki Kagawa	...	Sasaki Ichitaro
Shihori Kanjiya	...	Rinka
Masato Sakai	...	Aoyagi Masaharu
Gaku Hamada	...	Kill-O
Akira Emoto	...	Hodogaya Yasushi
Ken'ichi Takitô
Hidetaka Yoshioka	...	Morita Shingo
Saki Aibu	...	Inoue Koume
Ryushin Tei	...	Detective Washizu
Gekidan Hitori	...	Ono Kazuo
Yukari Shiomi
Sonim	...	Tsuruta Ami
Yûsuke Iizuka

Storyline

When easy-going Aoyagi meets an old friend for a fishing trip, he ends up drugged, framed for the Prime Minister's assassination, and on the run from corrupt cops. It's only the beginning of what quickly becomes the worst, weirdest day of his life. But he'll get by with a little help from his friends, who include a famous pop diva, a rockabilly deliveryman, a crippled old gangster, and the world's most cheerful serial killer. Among the many puzzles of this twisty, clever film is how Nakamura manages to sneak a genuinely moving tribute to friendship into the madcap procession of perilous events. No matter what befalls Aoyagi, his friends and parents believe in him because of his steadfast, almost irrational pleasantness.

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Plot Keywords:

manhunt | secret plot | spy | terrorism | public enemy | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

30 January 2010 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Golden Slumber

Filming Locations:

Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,458,607

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amuse, Asahi Shimbun, CJ Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

139 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Remade as Golden Slumber (2018)

User Reviews

Pure cinematic experience

Aoyagi (Masato Sakai) is mistaken for a murderer and on the run from the cops. At first glance one would think it to be a simple suspense film, but that's not the case. Each character has a deeper motive. Carefree, open-hearted, soft-spoken, each character seems to have some sort of reliance and trust in Aoyagi.A married couple with child get into an elevator, standing alongside a suspicious hooded man. The elevator descends, and a long take follows them as they walk through the department store. Suddenly, the child disappears. In this moment the film has us nervously thinking, "Something bad must have happened."

With this powerful moment I'd recommend the film. Every scene in the film feels like a pure cinematic experience: when the company owner says to Aoyagi, "i know You aren't the criminal;" when we cut to the scenery outside the car in motion; when the child of the wanted criminal dies. Even normal scenes were certainly shot with meaning. The cooperation of Sendai City during the filming has a positive effect on the movie's quality. Extras who appear in the film for just a few seconds stand with consideration for their own significance, in turn blessed by a splendid film.

As soundly escapist entertainment, it's a shame the film hasn't been screened overseas since its debut in 2010.

This kind of amusing film is an example for what Japanese cinema is all about.