Karasu no Oyayubi (2012 Film)

Karasu no Oyayubi (also known as By Rule of Crow's Thumb) is a 2012 Japanese suspense-thriller directed by Tadafumi Ito. The film is based on the 2008 novel of the same name by author Shusuke Michio, published by Kodansha Ltd.

Promotional image for the film Karasu no Oyayubi — Promotional artwork for the 2012 film.

Plot

The story follows two middle-aged swindlers, Take (Hiroshi Abe) and Tetsu (Shoji Murakami). Take turned to a life of fraud following the loss of his wife and daughter, eventually recruiting Tetsu as his partner. The two live together in an old house, which eventually becomes a shared residence for a group of individuals including sisters Yahiro (Satomi Ishihara) and Mahiro (Rena Nounen), along with Yahiro's boyfriend, Kantaro (Yu Koyanagi). The group eventually collaborates on a major swindling operation.

Production

Principal photography for the film commenced on August 16, 2011, and concluded in October 2011. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox and Phantom Film. It held its world premiere at the 25th Tokyo International Film Festival in October 2012 before its general theatrical release on November 23, 2012.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast including:

Hiroshi Abe as Take
Shoji Murakami as Tetsu
Satomi Ishihara as Yahiro
Rena Nounen as Mahiro
Yu Koyanagi as Kantaro

Supporting cast members include Bengal, Daimao Kosaka, Takeshi Nadagi, Shingo Tsurumi, and Shigeyuki Totsugi.

Reception

At the 37th Hochi Film Awards in 2012, Rena Nounen was recognized with the Best New Artist award for her performance in the film.