This movie is under Y because of the star of the movie Koji Yakusho.
Writer: Hirokazu Koreeda (Screenplay)
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Koji Yakusho, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Mikako Ichikawa, Izumi Matsouka, Suzu Hirose
Plot: A courtroom drama centered around the murder of a factory president.
Runtime: 2 Hours 4 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Intriguing Mystery
Story: The Third Murder starts when Misumi (Yakusho) kills his factory manager, he confesses to the crime and is getting ready for his trial when lawyer Shigemori (Fukuyama) starts looking into the case, learning that the wife of the victim asked Misumi to commit the murder.
The deeper Shigemori looks into the past of Misumi, the more he learns about the man that was arrested 30-years-ago for murder, in a case which was solved, only it doesn’t seem to make sense either, if there more to his motivation than just murder?
Thoughts on The Third Murder
Characters – Shigemori is the lawyer that is handling the case, which seems cut and dry, the confession to murder is simple enough, what he must prove it motivation, trying to understand why this crime was committed and learning from people in Misumi’s life will help him understand this. He never gets let be in control of the case he is trying in court. Misumi is the man who murdered the factory manager, he has confessed to this crime, only he claims to have a motive which will put the focus away from him receiving the death penalty. He always seems to have something new to add to the interactions with Shigemori. Sakie is the daughter of the victim, who might well be throwing the case into a new direction, one that hasn’t been seen coming for either side of the lawyers.
Performances – The three lead performances in this film are wonderful, with the strong lawyer figure from Masaharu Fukuyama, to the potential killer in Koji Yakusho and the broken young woman Suzu Hirose, each shine in their parts through this film.
Story – The story here follows a court case, which seems like it is just going to be about whether the murderer gets the death penalty or not, only to turn into a bigger case, that even questions whether he did it or not. When it comes to the old court case stories, they will always be a big draw for me, with how there could well be an outcome that goes against what most people in the story are expecting, with this being no exception, it does keep leave the twists coming and does feel like it always has one more to give us, which is just how we like the mystery story to unfold.
Crime/Mystery – The crime in this film focuses on what has been committed, while slowly branching out into a bigger mystery about what has happened, which plays out like a mystery we are left to see unfold before our eyes.
Settings – The film uses the court room setting well, while also using the interviewing room and different locations from the life of the characters to understand the truth.
Scene of the Movie – The truth.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – One too many attempts for a twist.
Final Thoughts – This is an interesting mystery thriller that does play into the court room drama that leaves you wanting to learn the truth of the case.
Overall: Great Courtroom Drama
