Rock the charts: Japan's box office numbers 6/5 - 6/11

5:00 PM on 06.10.2010   |   Mike LeChevallier

Another week, another edition of Rock the Charts. In today's column, I'm going to do things a little bit differently. Rather than spend a high percentage of time discussing the meager cashflow of the Japanese cinema, I'm going to talk more about the films featured in the top ten themselves. So yeah. Bottom line this week, economically speaking, the ballpark haul was a shade over $13 million. I piss that much money when I get up in the morning.

Let me just lay out the rankings before I get my chatter on.

Do me a favor. Go ahead and ignore Sex and the City 2. Turn a blind eye to Sands of Time. Look over the fact that Zatoichi slid down to 9th place in only its 2nd appearance on the chart. What you need to do is look at the top two films this week, and realize that Alice in Wonderland has finally been dethroned from the number one position. Good job, Japan. You've done alright by me.

The #2 film this week is the next entry in the Den-O Triolgy, after Episode Red and before Episode Yellow--Episode Blue. It's Kamen Rider, so I'll spare you a bunch of details as to why I'm happy that this made an honorable first showing at the box office (by Japan's standards). Take a look at the trailer if you've been under a rock, chilling out with crustaceans or something.

Now, on to the win. The number 1 movie this week is Confessions, the new film by Tetsuya Nakashima.  Nakashima is responsible for the fan favorite Kamikaze Girls (2005), for which he gained wide critical acclaim. Confessions (Kokohaku) has an interesting premise backed by the true Nakashima style.

From Nippon Cinema:

The film is based on an award-winning novel written by rookie author and housewife Kanae Minato. Actress Takako Matsu (K-20, Villon's Wife) plays a dedicated teacher at a junior high school [whose] young daughter is found brutally murdered. Believing two of her own students are responsible, she decides to leave the school, but not before a final chilling confession to her class in which she informs them that she's already enacted her plan for vengeance. A series of further confessions bring other incidents regarding students to light, leading up to a shocking plot twist.

Yoshino Kimura also stars as the mother of one of the suspected boys and Masaki Okada plays a young teacher who comes in to replace Matsu's character at the school without fully understanding the situation he's walking into.

I'm a fan of Nakashima's previous work, so I'm eager to check out this film. The trailer is pretty awesome, and has a wide variety of stealthy, yet utterly eye-catching imagery. This candy for your eyes includes (but is not limited to): a sneaker floating in water, bloody knives and scissors, eerie red writing, students being forced to make out whilst lights flicker within darkness, hot girls maniacally parading through falling blossoms, blood cascading into white liquid and what looks to be like a joyous dance ensemble. My interest...is piqued.

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