Face

I'm quite certain I would've liked this film better if I'd watched it 20 years ago, back when it was originally released. Not because I've grown tired of the genre, but simply because I've seen this kind of drama been done better in the meantime. Face isn't a bad film, it just feels a little murky by modern standards.

The presentation is definitely part of that. Rather plain camera work, muddy colors and poor framing take away from the overall appeal of the film. The soundtrack too is a little disappointing, and the drama, while relatively effective, is something I've seen many times before too, with better results.

That's not to say Face is a terrible film. Fujiyama's performance is laudable, the supporting cast is good and the film has some neat little surprises in store, but overall they don't have the impact needed to make this a stand-out feature. Japanese drama fans won't be disappointed, it just felt a bit dated to me.