Have mentioned many times before about one wonderful perk of discovering author Keigo Higashino’s works only recently, and that is that almost ALL of his novels and short stories have been made into dramas, TV Specials and cinematic films, so ANY time I fall in love with one of his books, inevitably there’ll be a movie I can then IMMEDIATELY dive into!
And SO IT WAS with Higashino’s compelling murder mystery SILENT PARADE (Chinmoku no Parade), featuring the genius Manabu Yukawa in the 5th installment of the amazing INSPECTOR GALILEO series! Really loved the story and its’ intricately laid out pieces, so complex (and, yes, hard to follow at times) but so ultimately rewarding!
Once I finished the book, I once again took to the internet and was happily rewarded to discover that there had INDEED been a film adaptation made of it, this one released to the cinemas in 2022 and once again starring Masaharu Fukuyama as the stoic Manaba Yukawa! Along with him was a bevy of stars all brought together to tell this tale of murder and revenge!
On the town of Kumagaya there is a young girl named Saori Namiki (Asuka Kawatoko). She is the elder daughter to Yutaro (Kazuki iio) and Machiko (Naho Toda), a couple running an eatery in town loved by the neighbors and merchants in town, who are such regulars that they are like old friends! They also have a younger daughter named Natsumi (Natsuki Deguchi), but it is clear that it is the older Saori who is born to be a star!
Singing at a talent show held every year during town festivities following a local community parade, Saori is discovered by a record producer and his wife, Naoki Niikura (Kippei Shiina) and Rumi (Rei Dan). Amazed at her raw talent, they take her under their wings and nurture her into her inevitable star-making debut!
Saori also has a budding love interest with a shy young man named Tomoya Takagaki (Amane Okayama) who is also supportive of her musical dreams even though it may keep them apart….
All of this comes crashing down when Saori abruptly disappears without a trace. Everyone in town, family and friends alike cannot fathom where she might have gone or what might have become of her. She simply vanished off the face of the earth!
It isn’t until much later that Saori's ultimate fate is learned, when skeletal remains are discovered buried under the floorboards of a house which had caught fire and burned down to the ground. Matching dental records, it is revealed that the deceased is the long departed Saori, and ,judging by a huge gash in the skull, was most likely murdered. Tracking down the owner of the house, they find a man named Kanichi Hasunuma and discover that not only is he a prime suspect, but he has a record of killing a young girl before!
Police detectives Shunpei Kusanagi (Kazuki Kitamura) and Kaoru Utsumi (Kou Shibasaki) are called in to investigate the murder, where we learn that Kusunagi has a personal connection to the criminal as he was the arresting officer in the murderer’s earlier crime.
But not only is this man not apologetic or remorseful in the least when accused of the crime, due to backwards laws he is LET GO from police custody, and even begins HARASSING the grieving Namikis and concerned friends, threatening to sue THEM for their false accusations against him!
Everyone involved is beyond enraged at this mans’ actions and attitude, and something has to give...and give it does.
Finally comes the day of the town's annual Festival and Parade, where people from all parts gather to show off their intricate floats and themed displays. Even Manabu himself is at the festivities, but little does he suspect some individual is carrying out a fiendish act of retribution for the evil Hasunuma behind the scenes. Amidst all the fun and activity, someone tracks down where Hasunuma lives, and executes him in his room as he sleeps.
...After puzzling over it for some time and unable to come up with a solution, Utsumi goes around Kusanagi and calls on their secret ace in the hole, the eccentric professor Manabu Yukawa!
Interested in the case because of the locked room mystery, there is another reason for Yukawa’s involvement: he HIMSELF was a loving patron of the Namiki’s restaurant and happens to know every person on the suspect list!
Taken to the site of the slain murderer, Yukawa theorizes a few ways a person might have gone about killing this man in his locked room. When his hypotheses prove true, they must begin looking for the suspects...and naturally their eyes focus on the Namikis and their friends and neighbors.
With the professor’s unique skills and the dedication of Investigators Kusanagi and Utsumi, they must dig deep into that turbulent day of the Parade and its festivities to break down what everyone was doing and who, if any, may be involved…and as they do, they shed new light on not only the current murder, but reveal truths about that initial disappearance of Saori on that fateful day she disappeared as well.
A TERRIFIC film all around!
MUST SAY I am REALLY enjoying this Keigo Higashino renaissance of reading his classic books and then digging up the film adaptations and watching them right after! Not only does it make my reading experience so much more full and enjoyable, there are still SO MANY to track down and discover!!!
Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
