Japan’s Free Stone Takes Aim at the Cannes Market With ‘The Gun’
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefThe notion that possessing a firearm, for most people in a civilized society, is a rare and fascinating thing is the ideological underpinning of Japanese thriller “The Gun 2020.”The pitch may have its limits in the U.S., but in the hands of director Masaharu Take (“100 Yen Love” “Netflix’ “The Naked Director”) the story flows from a student’s accidental discovery of a handgun, right when she needs it, through to the slaying of a neighbor, and to a police chase. Along the way the back story of both the gun and the woman become clearer.The film stars “Shoplifters” standout Lily Franky as a detective, alongside Kyoko Hinami and Koichi Sato.