Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2010

TOHO

Tetsuya Nakashima’s Confessions, starring popular actress Takako Matsu, has been nominated as Japan’s candidate for the best foreign-language film category at the 2011 Oscars. Based on a bestselling novel, the movie is about a junior high school teacher, played by Matsu, who plots revenge on two of her students after they kill her young daughter. The 33-year-old actress is also the favorite to win the best actress accolade in domestic awards ceremonies, according to entertainment media reports. She will be up against Eri Fukatsu, 37, who took top honors at the Montreal World Film Festival earlier this month for her role in the thriller Akunin, and Shinobu Terajima, 37, star of war drama Caterpillar. In spite of its dark subject matter, Confessions struck a chord with audiences—it has raked in ¥3.7 billion since its release on June 5. Although the film debuted overseas in the thick of the competitive summer blockbuster season, it’s still playing on 35 screens worldwide.