The main footage from the film "Saigai Theatrical Version" (released on February 20th), starring actor Kagawa Teruyuki, has been released, highlighting the individual personalities of the detectives played by actor Nakamura Anne, musician Takehara Pistol, and Miyachika Kaito of the popular group "Travis Japan."
This film is a reimagining of the six-episode drama series "W Disaster," a completely original series that began airing and streaming on WOWOW in April last year. Directed, written, and edited by Seki Yutaro and Hirase Kentaro of the directorial group "Gogatsu," they teamed up with Kagawa for the first time since their feature-length film debut, "Miyamatsu and Yamashita" (2022). Kagawa plays six different roles in this film. Following "Miyamatsu and Yamashita," the film was officially invited to the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain, where it was screened in the competition section.
The film depicts how a "man" played by Kagawa appears as a completely different person, changing his appearance, tone of voice, facial expression, personality, and even behavior, before six innocent characters living in modern times and struggling with their own conflicts, and how a "disaster" mercilessly befalls them.
◇The detectives' values and intuitions clash
The released footage shows three detectives from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Investigative Headquarters, Domoto (Nakamura), Iida (Takehara), and Kikuchi (Miyachika), discussing the death of a high school girl. As the sun sets, the building is silent at night. As darkness falls on the surrounding area, the three are looking down at investigative documents in front of a midnight snack of katsudon in a conference room, where only one light is on.
"She had problems at home. There was no suicide note. She was an honor student, but she was struggling to get into university for financial reasons, and she had recently been struggling romantically," Kikuchi calmly lists the facts. Iida nods, and the two try to treat the case as a "suicide." However, Domoto is the only one who goes against this trend, quietly questioning, "But would that girl have committed suicide for just this reason?" Domoto continues, "If it was murder, it's strange that we have no clues," and Iida and Kikuchi stop eating, showing their confusion and irritation.
"Huh? What are you talking about? That's why it's suicide. What are you trying to do?" Iida expresses his emotions, but Domoto insists, "It's too neat. All clues have been completely eliminated." His words are not heeded, and Domoto's sense of unease remains heavy in the conference room. "It's too early to make a definitive conclusion when we haven't even found a reason for suicide. People don't die without a reason," Domoto declares, and he returns to the investigation. In contrast, Iida and Kikuchi sigh and look exasperated. The detectives' respective values and "intuitions" clash, leaving a sense of unease that leads to the core of the story.
◇ Nakamura Anne, who has a low-key tone, said, "It was really cool."
Regarding Nakamura, who plays Domoto, Director Seki said, "I wanted to show Nakamura Anne as a theoretical person who is absorbed in her work, different from her usual bright and glamorous image. Nakamura, who actually has a low tone, was really cool." On the other hand, regarding Iida, played by Takehara, Director Hirase said, "The overall tone of the film is dark, so I wanted to make a character who has a big smile and is easy for everyone to like. As a result, combined with the atmosphere that Takehara possesses, I'm glad that Iida turned out to be a contrasting presence, the theoretical Domoto and the emotional Iida." He revealed that the casting was done with the balance of the film in mind.
Furthermore, regarding Miyachika, who played the young detective Kikuchi, it was said that he "grew as an actor" through filming. Director Hirase reflected, "Both Domoto and Iida were professional detectives who had established their own styles, so I wanted a fresh character. In Miyachika's first scene, you could see his confusion both as Kikuchi and as an actor, but he listened very obediently to what I told him and absorbed it so well that he grew rapidly during the filming period. Miyachika's growth as a detective and as an actor ultimately synchronized, which had a very positive effect on this production."
The three detectives' differing personalities create a gradation in the film, which works effectively. Pay attention not only to the "certain man" played by Kagawa, but also to the dialogue between the three detectives.
