The Enchantment

Veteran actor Masao Kusakari (Masahiro Shinoda's 'Himiko', Kon Ichikawa's 'Virus') plays a pragmatic, empathetic psychiatrist in this thriller set in the peak urban utopia of pre-recession Japan of 1980s. Underneath the main storyline that consists of him taking an unhealthy interest in one of his patients with dangerous multiple-personality disorder, there runs a subtle undercurrent of discontent and disenchantment with the urban existence, although that becomes truly visible in the last act. There's also a light, gentle quality to this film, despite having a dash of gory violence and a few nice touches of psychological twists. As it happens in many japanese films, this one also does not have a single 'evil' character; rather during the course of the film, the audience is made to question the protagonist's male ego and obsession. Well-acted, visually crafty, well-told story. Quite recommended. I wish this gets released in Blu-ray.