I sat down to watch the 2015 crime drama "Shinjuku Suwan" (aka "Shinjuku Swan") here in 2022. And as I watched it, it dawned on me that I had actually watched the movie once before. But I honestly had forgotten all about the movie, so it was nice to revisit it.
Now, I am by no means familiar with the Manga from Ken Wakui, upon which this movie is based, so how true this 2015 movie is to the source material I can only guess. But I will say that writers Mataichirô Yamamoto and Osamu Suzuki did manage to put together a script and storyline that proved interesting, entertaining and enjoyable. I was immediately submerged into the plot and enjoyed the ride up and down, right up until the movie ended.
Not only was the storyline good, but the characters in the movie were interesting as well. These characters had multiple layers and good stories, motives and such, so the character gallery definitely added a lot of spice to the storyline. And it was an additional plus that they had a great cast ensemble put together for fleshing out the characters.
I am not familiar with the Shinjuku area in Japan, but this movie definitely made for a good, wholesome and enjoyable viewing. If you haven't already seen "Shinjuku Suwan", and have an interest in Japanese cinema, then this is a movie well-worth watching.
My rating of director Sion Sono's 2015 movie lands on a six out of ten stars.
