Confessions starts with a confession of a teacher, Yuko Moriguchi, to her 37 students about the death of her young daughter. Manami, the daughter, died earlier as she drowned in the school's swimming pool. The police accounted it as an unfortunate accident, but Moriguchi knows it was a planned murder, committed by two students in her class. She has already acknowledged that changing the police verdict would be pointless, as the law would let the underage culprits to escape the punishment. Fueled by solid revenge, Moriguchi begins to reveal her own way to accomplish the retaliation as a single mother. She confesses that she has injected HIV-infected blood of his late husband's into the culprits' milk, but that is just a beginning of her evil masterplan to ruin the murderers' lives, and eventually, the class as a whole.
Gloomy but never dull, slow-moving but never boring, I can account the beautiful cinematography as the most prominent factor for the success of the conveyance of the story's message. Each movement is framed picturesquely that even the murder scenes rather look like dance rehearsals. (Thanks to Boris, The XX and Radiohead too for reinforcing the silently haunting atmosphere by putting superb soundtracks in undertones.) Every main character has his own contribution to the plot, the knowledge of the plot but always partially. Therefore, each revelation moment ignites a spark of very rewarding excitement and a late realisation in return. It's not a typical 'whodunit' murder mystery, because the culprits are already pointed out clearly in the beginning. Who's more evil, who's clueless about what, those are actually the main twists of the story.
Confessions is full of irony, teaching values of life by taking them away, portraying the ugly side of life and Japanese (youth) society in the most beautiful approach. The pieces of puzzle are always thought to be gathered completely at the end of each stage, but actually they are still scattered, until the very final punchline.
Confessions may be seen by some as overrated, too slow, beautiful-for-nothing, or exhausting. But to me, its brilliance outshines everything. This psychological thriller is all I hope to watch at the moment. (it's got me completely head over heels!) Confessions is based on a best-selling novel series in Japan, so the layering plot is a no-wonder achievement. Please do watch if you are looking for a movie with strong, inaudibly eerie atmosphere, and able to bear the first 25 minutes of monotonous monologue.
(P.S And I love the soundtrack a little bit too much.)
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