Kokuhaku (Confessions) Original Soundtrack (Japan Version)

The reason for that is actually quite simple; most of the Confessions soundtrack is not an instrumental score. Instead, it is compiled from material not composed specifically for the film. Despite the fact that rock band Boris and composer Gabriele Roberto produced new material for the Confessions soundtrack, most film awards tend to only recognize original instrumental film scores. Even though such a rule makes sense for certain films (for example, Quentin Tarantino films' use of existing music), music plays such a major presence in Confessions that neglecting Nakashima (who is also the film's Music Supervisor) and music producer Kanahashi Toyohiko's work would be a huge disservice.

Boasting a mix of experimental rock, classical pieces, melancholic mood pieces, and well-known pop songs, the Confessions soundtrack interestingly enough starts off with the creepy Milk, a children's song-style ballad about love for the calcium-filled white liquid. The original song, which also starts off the film, recalls the style of Nakashima's Memories of Matsuko, the story of a sad life told with bright, exploding colors. However, the tone of Confessions is actually more accurately reflected by its official theme song Last Flowers (Track 2), a melancholic ballad by Radiohead. A strong presence throughout the film, the song is guaranteed to stick with the film's viewers thanks to its ominous piano-driven sound and haunting melody.

The film's rougher edges are expressed by Boris's experimental rock sound, whose mid-tempo, ominous guitar sound in songs like Niji ga Hajimaru Toki (Track 3) and Ketsunetsu (Track 18) works perfectly in the film. Meanwhile, new renditions of classical pieces by electronica musician Shibuya Keiichiro serve as eerily peaceful interludes during the disturbing film.

Instead of opting for recognizable pop culture classics, Nakashima uses lesser known music (even Last Flowers only exists on a special edition of Radiohead's In Rainbows) to strike the right tone for the film. Even the presence of pop songs like AKB48's River (Track 7) and That's the Way I Like It (Track 15) exist only in the background, or are used in an ironic context. As a music video director, Nakashima knows the right music for the right atmosphere, and the music he chose for Confessions all serve the important role of creating his film's gray, hyper-realistic world, as well as setting the right storytelling pace for Koike in the editing lab. Some may criticize Nakashima for having made the ultimate music video film with Confessions, but that's no reason to neglect the fact that he has compiled one of the most memorable and most fitting film soundtracks of 2010.