Takako Matsu to star in Tetsuya Nakashima’s “Kokuhaku” (Confessions)

By kevin on November 02, 2009 at 2:53am EST

Actress Takako Matsu (K-20, Villon’s Wife) is set to star in a film adaptation of Kanae Minato’s debut mystery novel Kokuhaku (Confessions), which won the 2009 Honya Taisho (Bookstore) award back in April and quickly became a best-seller. Matsu will be playing a teacher named Moriguchi who seeks revenge against the students who murdered her daughter. The details of the incident are gradually revealed through confessions of those involved, eventually leading up to a plot twist brought on by a switch of perspective. Modern factors such as bullying, HIV, and hikikomori social withdrawal are meant to create a strong sense of reality and build tension until the conclusion. While the subject matter is shocking, the story is also intended to raise ethical questions and weighty life issues.

The film is being directed by Tetsuya Nakashima whose become known for his unique visual style in films such as Kamikaze Girls and Memories of Matsuko.

As for the rest of the cast, a total of 37 teens were chosen to play junior high school students from an audition of over 1,000. Masaki Okada will play an enthusiastic young teacher who arrives as Moriguchi’s successor and doesn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation he’s walked into. Yoshino Kimura will play the mother of one of the boys.

Filming of “Kokuhaku” began on October 24th and a nation-wide release is planned for June 2010.

Sources: Cinema Today,