Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess

A Japanese girl goes missing on a holiday in Rome, and her mother teams up with a government security expert to find her. Thrillers without twists are in minority nowadays, so the twists are expected. The twists in this movie did not really surprise me, but maybe it's just me.

Japanese thrillers usually contain too much melodrama; Amalfi is no exception. However, when a thriller like Suspect X manages to integrate the melodrama organically into the plot, Amalfi does not do such a good job.

The movie is set in Italy, and at times focuses too much on the settings. Incidentally, much of the action occurs in the well-visited tourist spots, and it makes the movie look like a travel agency brochure, "Top 10 places in Italy to visit", adapted for Japan, accompanied by "Time to say goodbye" sung by non-Italian Sarah Brightman. Too cheesy.

On the up side, however, the mystery keeps you interested for a while, and the acting is more or less convincing. Watchable for those interested in Japanese movies (like myself), but no more than that.