The gangster 'lifestyle', if you will, has always infatuated American filmmakers and audiences from "Public Enemy" and "Little Caesar" to "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas". In Japan, their version of this genre, the Yakuza film, has also become a cornerstone of their cinema canon. Director Rokuro Mochizuki has established himself as a true pioneer of the Yakuza film, pushing his vision beyond the usual boundaries of guns, dames and violence. In MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS, Mochizuki spins a darkly comedic tale of a young conman who may just be too smart for himself...

It's 1980's Tokyo - a high time for the Japanese economy, and a profitable time to be a conman. However, young Jiro winds up on the wrong end when a grift goes south. The battered but unbowed Jiro licks his wounds and stumbles upon a young woman pouring gasoline around a warehouse. She smiles, and lights a match. They stare at each other over the flames - could this be love? Jiro embarks on another scam; incredibly knowledgeable of business law, he pretends to be a city inspector to get into the financial records of his latest fish. Just so happens Mr. Moriyasu is the father of the pyromaniac girl, Kumiko. Jiro barely misses a beat while conning Moriyasu of his cash - and Kumiko even plays along with the deception! It must be fate, because sure enough, Jiro and Kumiko are soon all over each other and wind up having quite a cab ride. Kumiko reveals that Moriyasu sexually abuses her, so Jiro takes her away to start a new life with him. Or so she believes...

Jiro's con runs into a snag when local Yakuza boss Kamewada gets involved. To insure his interests, Kamewada sends Jiro a 'bodyguard' who is completely inept, but the resourceful Jiro actually uses "Jay's" bumbling to his advantage. Unfortunately, Jiro tries to use Jay to pull a fast one on Kamewada, which results in a torture-soon-to-die situation for the both of them at Kamewada's hands. However, Kumiko begs for Jiro's life, and the Boss agrees so long as Jiro now works for him. The Yakuza tells Jiro he has 'dodged the bullet' thanks to Kumiko...but it's a one-time deal. Jiro sets up a new con (after making a deal to spare Jay's life) and tries to convince himself Kumiko isn't just another of Kamewada's spies. She pleads with him to believe she is always and forever his. Jiro chaffs under the yoke of the Yakuza, and finally convinces Kamewada to let him really make some money for them with a major con - the Boss agrees. Now Jiro must use all his smarts, his cunning, his friends and even the love of Kumiko to pull off his greatest scam...or there will be no future for any of them.

After establishing himself with more conventional yakuza films, Mochizuki spins a new direction in MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS. He ignores such traditions as giant shoot-outs or crazy car chases in favor of a more personal take on the con game. Mochizuki also changes his 'hero' from a world-weary middle age man to a young buck who is out to make his reputation in the world. (In American vernacular the film is more like THE GRIFTERS than GOODFELLAS). Despite a lack of traditional action, they story is never slow moving as both Jiro's crime situation and his relationship with Kumiko keep winding on a downward spiral. It's really disheartening to see Jiro becoming so cynical that he believes everything - even Kumiko's love - are just part of a grift. The real tragedy is that despite all her efforts, Kumiko can't get away from being exploited, even from the man she loves. MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS features very fine acting performances across the board. Jiro and Kumiko are so likable you can't help but want them to live happily ever after - but this isn't a fairy tale. A quick shout-out to Jay for a quirky turn in the 'comic relief' role. The plot does get a little confusing at times, but I suppose that's par for the course with a film about con men. Mochizuki keeps the film moving at a brisk pace; it reflects the emotions of Jiro from confidence to panic. Further unique facets of MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS are its' unconventional locations and a curious 'film noir'-ish soundtrack, both which only add to the 'Mochizuki' style.

The DVD release of MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS contains several great extras. There is an interview with director Mochizuki, who discusses not only this film, but also his style and plans for the future. Very interesting and a definite watch. There is a feature-length commentary by author Tom Mes, who gives even more details on Mochizuki and his life and film legacy. Mes' observations add an interesting perspective to the film, so it's worth a second go-round of MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS. There is a short featurette on the history of 'The Song' - the pop song Jiro sings throughout the film (and you discover its significance as well). There are also short text bios of Mochizuki and the cast.

Rokuro Mochizuki cut his reputation on hard-boiled, yet unique, Yakuza films, but with MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS he truly takes a trip to the edge the genre. Relying on strong characters and an absorbing storyline, the film may not have the bang of a normal gangster film, but it has plenty of bite. With a wicked comedic slant for such a tale of tragedy, MOBSTERS' CONFESSIONS is a topnotch film of a man who becomes his own worst enemy.