[Focus]

Despite an escalation into melodrama as it heads towards its climax, this is an almost completely believable fake documentary. A TV current affairs crew is interviewing a shy, repressed nerd about his addiction to listening in on short-wave radio and mobile phone conversations. But the director is a scuzzy opportunist whose sole ambition is to land a sensational scoop; an overheard call about a gun in a coin-locker starts them on a descent into hysteria and disaster. The casting of the film's actual cameraman as the TV crew's off-screen cameraman gives the overall credibility a huge boost. It's also extremely well acted (Asano, who plays the nerd, is currently Japan's hottest young star) and executed with considerable skill and welcome shafts of humour. In sum, it's as good as 'social-conscience' movies ever get.