Suspect X

I'll just join in with the many (well, most of the 14 now listed) excellent reviews of this wonderfully made film. No need to go into a lot of detail here. Acting: Amazingly powerful. Writing and Direction: Perfect.

Normally, I don't get too carried away with more Drama heavy films, usually because either they are not very good or these elements are way overdone. Not here... Whomever the Director is, he not only guided the story in a very deft and effective way, but he also elicited the best performances by all involved. Quite a feat... Whenever I take the time actually to write a review here, I normally try to stress or emphasize however well made a movie is. That, to me personally regardless of Genre, is what really carries the most weight. And, this one, let me tell you, was done very, very well.

If you enjoy movies of high quality that really involve the audience, then I think there is a good chance you will like this film.

Any fan of thrillers should be no stranger to the name of Higashino. This film is of course a brilliant adaptation of the book. The tension has been created right from the start and maintained throughout the film. There have always been misguiding trivialites that lead you deep into the woods, or snow-clad mountains. You can sense there will be some more twists and turns in it while watching the plot unfolds.

This film made me an instant fan of the actor who played Suspect X-his name escaped me at first, but his performance left a strong impression. The real strength of this movie lies in its source material: a brilliantly crafted Keigo Higashino mystery. Many suspense novels are too intricate to adapt smoothly into film, leaving audiences lost, but this story relies on a relatively simple trick. Viewers can actually follow along and even solve it as they watch, which makes the suspense so engaging.

The human drama is also well handled. Higashino's works often focus heavily on family issues, but here that element is restrained, allowing the relationships between the culprit and the heroine, and between the culprit and the detective, to shine.

Higashino has written many outstanding works. With the right production and international push, they could become a catalyst for Japanese cinema to gain worldwide recognition. While Japan is often labeled an "anime nation" or "manga nation," popularity alone doesn't equal depth. True narrative depth lies in Japanese mystery fiction. Especially between 1980 and 2010, Japan produced many of the finest mysteries in the world. Yet, it seems Japanese film companies have no intention of using this strength to break onto the global stage-and that is truly unfortunate.

I first saw this in 2010. Revisited it recently. Some movies indeed deserves a second viewing before being reviewed.

Suspect X is the first of several film adaptations of the novel The Devotion of Suspect X.

This is the Japanese version n has some amazing performances by the actors. I ain't aware of the names but really terrific performances.

I loved the opening scene where a physicist solves a crime via the explanation of physics.

The plot - Yasuko Hanaoka, a recently divorced, single mother owns a restaurant and she has a regular customer, Tetsuya Ishigami, her next door neighbor, a tad reclusive, but brilliant mathematics teacher.

Buying lunches from Yasuko's restaurant is the brightest part of Tetsuya's day.

Things take a sudden change when Yasuko's abusive ex-husband shows up one night to extort money from Yasuko but is killed by Yasuko and her daughter.

The acting n cinematography is top notch but the editing is not upto mark. There r scenes which are very slow n not required.

I didn't like the ending.

First of all let me admit that I haven't read the book "Devotion of Suspect X" upon which this film was based. Apart from few loose ends in the movie about the characters (could be director's fault or not), this movie fed me with surprises one after another. Loved the way the story unfolded with these suspense elements which make me feel shame that I haven't read the book. The suspense at the Climax was a shock and is totally unsuspected .

This movie is copied/inspired/plagiarized in India with the name "Dhrishyam" which is again going to be inspired to another language from the same country.