Koreyoshi Kurahara's INTIMIDATION is a delicious little heist-noir. It revolves around Takita - a corrupt, ladder-climbing banker who's blackmailed into robbing his own bank before he leaves for a cushy corporate promotion. There's also Nakaike, his guileless, unambitious subordinate (and childhood friend - who might make the perfect fall-guy) and his hateful sister Yukie who's harbouring her share of regrets and bitter resentments.
Cerebrally intense, INTIMIDATION never lets us off the hook throughout its 65 min runtime. Kurahara comes across as a seasoned exponent of the genre particularly during the supremely executed, tension-fraught heist sequence - effectively employing quick cuts, sweaty close-ups to highlight the desperation-infested, claustrophobic bank setting.
There's also some daring Hitchcockian camera-work: Like a distinctive high angle shot during a key extortion scene (a la DIAL M FOR MURDER) or a pair of eerily-lensed bookending train sequences (a la SHADOW OF A DOUBT).
But it's in its final act where INTIMIDATION soars, loaded with clever twists & turns as it transforms into a vengeful game of chess where the players use coercive leverage and deep-rooted hostilities to one-up each other.
This is a brilliant little film that needs to be seen and appreciated.
