Inju, The Beast In The Shadow

A French scholar and author travels to Japan to promote his book, and goes out of his way to provoke a reclusive and possibly dangerous author in an attempt to force a meeting.

Great production overall, with strong acting, and some chilling moments in the cinematography. The plot is a bit obvious perhaps, but the main point is really in watching the chemistry between the main characters develop.

Some people are describing this as a noir, which seems to fit at least somewhat. It's a bit bright visually for that label, but the theme and pacing is spot on. Without anything particular to point to, it feels like a "classic", maybe due to the pacing and the relatively understated performances.

Slow, but interesting.