Kakashi (2001)

Dir: Norio Tsuruta

This unusual, low-key Japanese chiller tells the story of Kaoru (Maho Nonami of "2LDK" fame), a girl searching for her brother who has disappeared, leaving only a mysterious letter behind. The return address leads Kaoru to an isolated village where the mute, antisocial inhabitants are preparing for a 'Kakashi' (scarecrow) festival ... The atmosphere throughout the film is very moody and the scarecrows are creepy as anything (but then again, scarecrows frighten the pants off of me in any context); I really loved the photography, the use of the rural setting and the cast (especially Kou Shibasaki as the obligatory evil little girl). I thought the film had enormous potential. Then it all fell to pieces in the second half and stopped making sense. I could just about see what it was getting at but the screenplay is too clumsy and confused to fully come together. By the end, you'll be scratching your head and wishing they could've spent a bit more time on keeping things coherent. Characterisation is nil. A waste of some nice ideas. *1/2