FilmSnobReviews

Title: Wife of a Spy
Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Starring: Issey Takahashi, Yû Aoi, Masahiro Higashide
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins

What It Is: The year is 1940 in Kobe, Japan, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. Local merchant and amateur filmmaker Yusaku senses that things are headed in an unsettling direction – and discovers some truly sinister doings that could jeopardize himself and his wife Sakoto.

What We Think: This is the first film I’ve seen from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. I had heard of his reputation as a horror director, and I’m certainly going to watch both Cure and Pulse – yet Wife of a Spy serves as a fantastic introduction into his style and filmography. I’ve seen more than a few period pieces this year, yet what this film accomplished has stuck with me since its closing credits – being able to perfectly thrill and unnerve without being overly reliant on espionage clichés.

What captivated me the most about Wife of a Spy is the way in which it´s filmed. Kurosawa clearly has an incredible mastery of the camera – how to move it, when to move it, and where to move it. The way he captures such an ambience within the frame is something truly remarkable, like when the camera slowly (and invisibly) slinks in on a character’s conversation, or when a simple pan can in fact reveal quite a bit… masterful. The cinematography is beautiful as well (albeit the saturation is a bit reduced at times), and it compliments the time period greatly. There were shots that felt ripped straight out of a 1940’s serial drama, with the studio lighting feel – intense shadows, a ‘bloom’ like quality to the lighting and a great usage of different focal lengths. And as a cherry on top, the film is shot in gorgeous 8K (the only other 8k picture I’ve seen would be 2019’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire), which makes the overall presentation of the film spectacular. I feel like this is how lifelike the movies felt to audiences back in the 30’s and 40’s – 8K really does something interesting to the screen.

In terms of performances, they’re all splendid, with the standout star for me being Yû Aoi – there’s one scene in particular where the intentions of the story and performance blended together perfectly, when her character witnesses something she wasn’t supposed to see. Her eyes widen in fear in such a way that made my hear stir with anticipation! A brilliant performance from her, and the rest of the main cast also does very well (I knew I recognized Issey Takahashi from Kill Bill!). The film’s story, as I stated before, isn’t really all that action packed – well, physically speaking. In regards to emotional action, the film has more than plenty of it. The premise was intriguing enough to begin with, and it builds slowly until a heartbreaking conclusion, with scenes of somber looks, heated discussions, and discoveries of terrifying truths. The one factor I wasn’t too excited about is how this film will be able to be re-watched. There’s not a lot more added to the film after having experienced it for the first time – you can surely digest it all in one sitting, without coming back for seconds.

Our Grade: B+; If you’re looking for a classy, thought-provoking spy thriller, you’ll have a great time with Wife of a Spy. It might not be for everyone – if you’re more into car chases and action sequences you won’t really find that here. Just a good old fashioned slow burn – which is always a welcome sight for me.