NOH MASK MURDERS Asian Cinema

Renowned Japanese director Kon Ichikawa brings us an entertaining whodunit which cunningly mixes contemporary and traditional Japanese concerns. The film’s complicated plot centers around two strange murders which occur hundreds of miles apart, but the connection between them leads us into the lives of a bickering family and a complex maze of blackmail, more murder, a long history of adulterous love, and jealousy. On a production level, the film is up with the best of contemporary Japanese films, with rich color photography and sumptuous production design. Beautifully produced, Noh Mask Murders will appeal to Japanese culture aficionados and anyone who loves a good mystery -David Stratton, Variety