Cast : Mariko Tsutsui, Mikako Ichikawa, Sousuke Ikematsu
2019 / drama / France, Japon / 111'’ / Color / status : completed / Japanese / long feature-film
Ichiko works as a private nurse for a family she has almost become a part of. While Ichiko cares for the grandmother, she is also a confidant to Motoko, the eldest sister.
But one day, Motoko’s younger sister disappears. And the media soon reveal the kidnapper to be Ichiko’s own nephew…
After HARMONIUM (Cannes 2016 Un Certain Regard Jury Prize), Koji Fukada returns with the tense portrait of a woman caught up in a spiral of defamation.
Production: Kadokawa, Comme des Cinémas, Tokyo Garage
Press
“A slow-burn drama expertly told which fall into place with exquisitely deployed skills. Tsutsui’s wide-ranging performance anchors every scene in this tentacular and well-cast venture. Ichikawa is a stand-out as well. A deft and absorbing multi-pronged tale.”
Screen - Lisa Nesselson
“An exemplary melodrama, an emotionally palpable tale, expertly acted and with a dual-pronged narrative as equally well choreographed. With A Girl Missing, Fukada earns comparison to a contemporaneous Kenji Mizoguchi. In the lead role, Mariko Tsutsui is captivating.”
★★★★ IonCinema - Nicholas Bell
“Fukada steers clear of both internet trends and hankie-wringing melodrama. His concerns are the fragility of human bonds, the divided nature of the human heart and the eternal desire for revenge. In telling this story, Fukada takes the viewpoint of the distanced observer rather than the moralist or defender. That is, he allows the audience to draw its own conclusions.”
★★★★ The Japan Times - Mark Schilling
