Japanese thriller filmed in Italy
Filmed entirely in Italy, Amalfi is a Japanese thriller about a young girl's abduction that triggers a series of terrorist attacks.
It is Christmas, and diplomat Kosaku Kuroda (Yuji Oda) is assigned to the Japanese embassy in Rome. He is there to protect Japanese people from a possible terrorist attack.
Kuroda's colleagues in the Italian capital are very busy preparing for the arrival of the Japanese foreign minister for a G8 meeting.
All of a sudden, a young Japanese girl is kidnapped, and Kuroda thinks it could be the start of a terror campaign that may become more destructive.
Kuroda, who is fluent in Italian, is asked to be an interpreter in the investigation. One day, he receives a telephone call from the kidnappers demanding a ransom. But the Italian police mess up the deal.
Meanwhile, the girl's mother, Saeko (Yuki Amami), is frustrated because the authorities seem more interested in capturing the criminals than ensuring her daughter's safety. Her confidence in Kuroda's ability erodes quickly, and she is comforted by her suitor Jujii (Koichi Sato), a trading company executive.
Kuroda then decides to take matters into his own hands. He enlists the help of longtime friend and freelance writer Saiki (Masaharu Fukuyama), but in doing so, exceeds his diplomatic authority.
Isolated by his colleagues, he nevertheless continues with the investigation.
Very soon, the incident escalates into a series of terrorist attacks that threaten the entire nation.
With events spinning out of control, Kuroda discovers the key to the case lies in the picturesque southern town of Amalfi. He has to keep a cool head to expose the criminals' true intentions.
The film, which took three months to make, is the first Japanese movie shot entirely in Italy.
The theme song is performed by British diva Sarah Brightman, who makes a cameo appearance.
Amalfi opens on Thursday
In Japanese with English subtitles
