Following the success of “Noise”, Yusaku Matsumoto had some trouble coming up with his next movie, instead opting to deal in shorts and TV. This changed in 2022, with “All My Fault”, which was, though, definitely on a lower level than his aforementioned debut. As such, it is with great pleasure to see that he is back in form with “Winny”, a court drama focusing on the homonymous copyright infringement criminal case, the first in which a computer program developer faced a criminal charge for assisting in the copyright infringement of the program’s users.
Winny is screening at Japan Cuts
The film follows the actual events quite closely, starting with the two arrests of Winny users, which eventually led to the apprehension of the actual developer of the program, Isamu Kaneko, a 33-year-old assistant professor at the University of Tokyo who is also the main protagonist of the movie. At the same time, the movie follows the path of his defense lawyer, Toshimitsu Dan and the forming of a wider legal team which included veteran Masashi Akita. Eventually the narrative turns into a court-room drama, with the question about whether “the person who created the instrument of the crime is also quilty” hanging in the atmosphere from beginning to end.
Check also this interview
With the help of Genta Tamaki’s editing, Matsumoto creates a fascinating movie that moves much faster than the majority of titles of the type, with the juxtaposition of the events in front and behind the court also adding to the overall sense of entertainment “Winny” offers. The amount of information does border on the documentary, considering how close the director stayed on the events and how realistic the court proceedings are. At the same time, the movie finds its apogee during the latter, and particularly the examination of the police officer in charge of the arrest by Akita, as much as the testimony of Kaneko himself. The preparation for the latter is also among the most captivating scenes of the movie, with the parallel editing repeatedly switching scenes between the two being another testament to both Matsumoto and Tamaki’s work. Furthermore, Kentaro Kishi’s cinematography is equally accomplished, resulting in shots that follow the mixture of fiction/documentary/news piece in the best fashion, without any unnecessary exaltations.
The ending, and particularly the last scenes do hit the reef of the melodrama slightly, but considering the actual story, this is to be expected and in no way does it harm the overall great impression the movie leaves as a whole.
This accomplishment owes a lot to the acting. Masahiro Higashide is excellent playing the genuine nerd that is Kaneko, with his mannerisms, ticks and anti-social (as in not being able to ‘read the room’) mentality being excellently portrayed throughout the movie. Some moments of excessiveness do appear in his performance, but in general, his appearance is one of the best aspects of the movie, with the testimony scene probably being his apogee. His character also embodies another intriguing comment, but how mechanics communicating through the code they write, in a remark that essentially equates them with artists. Takahiro Miura as Toshimitsu Dan is also excellent as the young lawyer facing a rigged system, with the way he seems to respect the court, his client and his higher ups being quite pleasant to watch. Lastly, also excellent is Mitsuru Fukikoshi as Masashi Akita, emitting knowledge and a sense of measure with every word.
With some interesting general comments regarding the still crucial questions of copyright and the use of technology, great acting, directing and editing, “Winny” is an excellent movie that both entertains and educates, and a very welcome return for Matsumoto to form.
