Sway

Part mystery, part psychological drama, Miwa Nishikawa's Sway is a disturbing and compelling film. Successful photographer Takeru (Jô Odagiri) returns from Tokyo to his small hometown on the first anniversary of his mother's death. Takeru's absence when his mother died still rankles his father, creating inevitable family tension. Takeru takes an interest in Chieko (Yoko Maki), an attractive young woman who works at the gas station run by Takeru's forlorn brother Minoru (Teruyuki Kagawa). When the brothers and Chieko embark on a trip to a nearby forest, Takeru goes off to take photographs while Minoru and Chieko stroll across a rope bridge. But Chieko falls to her death and Minoru is charged with her murder, his fate resting on Takeru's testimony as to whether Chieko's death was an accident or homicide. Nishikawa creates an unsettling, low-keyed atmosphere in which nothing is quite what it seems to be, as several emotions—financial envy, blatant jealousy, and barely buried guilt—permeate the story. Sway manages to be emotionally powerful without indulging in needless melodramatics, drawing the viewer into the tale gradually, until it becomes so compelling that one feels as trapped as the onscreen characters. Highly recommended. (P. Hall)