Cure

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04000500dvldtc.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Reel Movie Critic.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reel Movie Critic.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id1803.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rat Race"><U>Rat Race</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1807.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Real Young Girl"><U>A Real Young Girl</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1805.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Restore"><U>Restore</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1806.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Riding in Cars with Boys"><U>Riding in Cars with Boys</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1804.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Road Home"><U>The Road Home</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1799.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rock Star"><U>Rock Star</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id1800.htm" TARGET="_top" 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BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="588"><div> <B>Cure   *** ½  (Not Rated)</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><div> Reviewed by Shelley Cameron</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="588"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="588" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="588"><div> Random acts of violence.  Trust no one.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="593" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="293"><div> Kenichi Takabe: Koji Yakusho</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Kunio Mamiya: Masato Hagiwara</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Fumie Takabe: Anna Nakagawa </div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> Dr. Miyajima: Yoriko Douguchi</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Writer/Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa</div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="293"><div>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <B>30 Second Bottom Line</B>: This 1997 psychological thriller from Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is absorbing from first shot to last, owing a great deal to its visual style.  Based on his novel, Kurosawa demonstrates yet more promise to live up to his namesake, the great master Akira Kurosawa. </div> <bR> <div>  <B>Story Line</B>: Opening under an incongruous snappy-sounding tune a man is walking calmly about in a bedroom where a woman sits on the bed.  He steps close to her and coolly, mechanically bludgeons her to death.  This is the first of a series of similar killings committed by different, apparently unrelated people in the same chilling, unexplained manner.  The victims suffer the same ritual cut to the throat, although the cause of death varies.  The murderers seem dazed and are unable to explain why they killed even while they clearly remember the crimes.  The story revolves around the police detective on the case and his frustration with the puzzle of the events compounded by sadness and uncertainty over his mentally ill wife.</div> <bR> <div> The investigation proceeds with very little to go on. After only dead ends he finally makes a connection and detains a suspect.  Though forewarned by the police psychiatrist, he is drawn dangerously close to the hypnotic power of the killer.  The detective comes to understand that this power is the villain's terrible ability to control those he meets by chance and cause them to kill. </div> <bR> <div>  A former psychology student, the suspect is revealed to be a disciple of Franz Mesmer, the 19<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" >th</FONT> century doctor, alluded to here as a shady spiritualist or sorcerer who developed the concept of post hypnotic suggestion. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Tell Me More About It</B>: Although the plot does follow a logical path, it gets a bit over-ambitious in the final half-hour.  Still, the twists and ambiguities are enticing.  The final, unsettling scene leaves us going down paths unexplored on the screen and with plenty to speculate about.  This blemish is easily overlooked in the face of the compelling visuals and solid performances, particularly the detective, played by Koji Yakusho, formerly seen in <I><B>Shall We Dance?</B></I><I> </I>and <I>The Eel </I>and soon to be seen in the much looked forward to <I>Warm Water Under a Red Bridge</I>. Also known under the title <I>Kyua</I>.  </div> <bR> <div> Minifilmography:</div> <div> Kiyoshi Kurosawa: <I><B>Eyes of the Spider</B></I></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>