Golden Slumber is a conspiracy tale about an everyday guy framed for a political assassination. It is a portrait of nostalgia and friendship. It is a critique of modern Japan's lapdog media and uncritical consumer citizenry. It is also slyly comic.
Nakamura studs his cast design with rockabilly boys, b-list starlets, aging anarchists, and an avenging outlaw, sprawled over 139 minutes, in a narrative that strains but does not break. It is all pulled together in some wonderfully moving moments, as motifs such as fireworks, teachers' gold stars, and personal quirks such as pressing lift buttons with one's thumb recur and are given layered meaning. Great scenes abound - the father telling his son through a media frenzy to escape is both hilarious, and a powerful dig at Japan's lynch mob media.
Yûko Takeuchi as a loyal ex has never been better. Teruyuki Kagawa is his usual reliable self, oozing menace. Masato Sakai leads the line as the naive Masaharu Aoyagi, the fall guy who learns to grow a pair as his troubles pile up. His expressions, both pure and embittered, reveal an actor who knows acting is reacting. The comedy is entertaining, but the emotional punch is perhaps surprising given the significant shift in tone it requires.
A clever, engaging script that holds you all the way. Highly recommended.
