Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2014

A former British soldier (Colin Firth) who worked on the Burma “Death Railway” hides his emotional scars well, until his new bride (Nicole Kidman) insists he confront his demons. He discovers that an interpreter for his tormenters back in the day (Hiroyuki Sanada) is alive and well and running a museum in what was once his concentration camp, and travels to Thailand with revenge in mind. (War Horse’s Jeremy Irvine is great as the character in flashbacks to the war.) What ensues is surprising and genuinely moving. Kind of amazed that it’s being shown in Japan. Maybe the Abe Cabinet should catch a show. (116 min)