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'Villain' gets 4 acting Japan Academy Awards; 'Confessions' named best picture

13 Comments

Lee Sang-il's drama "Akunin" ("Villain") picked up five awards at the 34th annual Japan Academy Awards in Tokyo on Friday night, including those in all four main acting categories, but not best picture nor best director, which went to "Confessions" and its director, Tetsuya Nakashima.

"Villains," about a lonely store clerk who falls for a quiet, intense killer on the run, helped Eri Fukatsu, 38, pick up the best actress award for her role as the clerk. The best actor award went to Satoshi Tsumabuki, 30, as the killer, the best supporting actor award went to Akira Emoto, 63, and best supporting actress award to Kirin Kiki, 68.

On accepting the award Tsumabuki said, "This performance was the culmination of my 12 years experience in the business. I wanted to dig deep and bring something original and personal to the role."

Fukatsu, who won the best actress award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival for the same role last September, said, "It was a privilege to play opposite Tsumabuki. I look forward to giving him a hug and celebrating later."

"Avatar" won the best foreign film award. Takashi Miike's samurai film “Thirteen Assassins” picked up four awards.

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13 Comments
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imomofo: "Avatar won best foreign film? Why?"

Few Japanese directors or movie-goers have a true sense of art, is why. Avatar was quite stunning visually, to be sure, although the story was quite stylish. It was chosen simply because it was the most popular, same as these Japanese movies were chosen (don't know what they ran against, but that's my guess), and same as if they were choosing 'best actor' they would just choose whichever celebrity were most popular at the time. Heck, they'd even possibly choose Honda as best actor because he's stolen the limelight in sports (in his case, he deserves it for truly taking on the role of an arrogant and talented player, when in reality he's just acting and hasn't done very well at all). :)

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The scene where she broke down after leaving the restaurant and then stood up as if nothing had happened ... too real.

Actually I was not so much impressed with Takako Matsu's performance, it was exellent but not that outstanding to win her the bestactress award, though I liked her wicked smile at the end when she said "this is my revenge".

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Oh, blimey - here we go. Get ready for endless puff-pieces about how great Japanese cinema is. Just like it was when "Okuribito" got one Oscar a couple of years back. Nobody seemed to have noticed that Slumdog Millionaire got 8. "Oooh, We Japanese love movie". My ring.

I've not seen this film, but I'll bet you a pound to a penny it involves someone running in the rain at some point.

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"a quiet, intense killer" That's the best kind of killer.

Sarge, obviously you do not have any idea about Akunin. The main character is not a killer at all. He killed a brainless, typical materialistic girl (whom I am sure you meet every day) because his mind went blank when she was bullying, threatening and humuliating him. She was meeting him because he paid money to her but at the end she didn't meet him as promised but entered the car of a higher class man in front od his eyes. You know how a jealous scorned man would behave, on top of it, she made up lies about him and blackmailed him with those lies.

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"a quiet, intense killer"

That's the best kind of killer.

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Avatar won best foreign film? Why? Because they felt sorry for the Na'vi? Might as well have picked Iron Man 2. Did they even screen 'The King's Speech'? If these people are movie critics, we all are too, and probably will pick better movies. On a side note, my wife watched Confessions and she said it's sick and twisted. Still haven't watched it myself yet.

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Congrats to all those involved with Akunin. Is this on video yet? I missed it in theaters.

They've a sign up in my local vid store for coming soon. So, it's coming soon, I guess.

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Still haven't seen Villain, LoveUSA, missed it in the theater but I will see it just because of you. I really liked the way Confessions was filmed eventhough the villains are really evil but the filming was refreshing and the music was great.

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LoveUSA: I don't know if the story has been edited or not, but it says clearly in the title that 'Confessions' won for best picture.

Both are better than average movies produced by Japan (generally the 'dramas' are not very good by international standards, though Japanese horror flicks, animation, and Kitano Takeshi pictures are generally quite amazing), and I look forward to watching them. Congrats to all -- not sure if there was any real competition besides.

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LoveUSA, yes, Confessions won the movie of the year. I haven't seen "Akunin" yet, but "Kokuhaku" was pretty powerful and yet artistic at the same time. Takako Matsu's acting was so good it was scary. The scene where she broke down after leaving the restaurant and then stood up as if nothing had happened ... too real.

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TV dramas were awarded based on academic and sentimental results contributed by actresses and actors. The bad and the good fight each other to make a permanent peace.

Huh?

Congrats to all those involved with Akunin. Is this on video yet? I missed it in theaters.

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I think this is the best movie for 2010. How about Confessions, did it pick up any awards? I prefer Akunin to Confessions because the crime Tsumabaki's character committed was not premeditated and carefully planned. The real villains, wicked persons and perverts are in Confessions though. Their twisted minds are beyond evil.

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TV dramas were awarded based on academic and sentimental results contributed by actresses and actors. The bad and the good fight each other to make a permanent peace.

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