Retribution: in KUROSAWA Kiyoshi’s subdued mystery, a detective investigating a few murders in a rundown area of Tokyo starts to see growing evidence that he may be himself involved in those murders. Things are not as simple, as the repeated appearance of a woman dressed in red suggests. The film is very moody, reinforced by cinematographer ASHIZAWA Akiko’s discreetly dynamic lighting and precise framing, as well as the very symbolic brokenness of the locale (suggestive of a state of limbo). YAKUSHO Kooji plays the detective effectively, as a bit of a cipher, with preternatural instincts and filled with self-doubt. IHARA Tsuyoshi, as his police partner, has a good presence. The two main female presences, HAZUKI Riona as the more sinister and KONISHI Manami, as the gentler, are very effective. Composer HAISHIMA Kuniaki’s eerie musical score fits the bill perfectly.