Dual, fractured personalities have been popular in film the last while with classics such as Fight Club, The Machinist and Memento. This Japanese addition to the genre builds the story from a man's present torn apart by his past where he was bullied mercilessly at school.

The story is well paced and distantly filmed giving a bystanders eye on the proceedings, even the more violent scenes shy from anything other than a cold, static distanced camera angle.

The star of the film has to be Shido Nakamura playing the lead character's violent, scarred alter ego, who you cant help but pity and fear at the same time.

The plot is gripping from the outset and perhaps a little slow for some, but builds to a good crescendo, only to be let down by a long, long drawn out ending sequence that has little in the way of coherence. That aside, its been a while since a piece of Japanese cinema as good as this came around, so enjoy the best bits.