Every Trick In The Book

Every Trick In The Book (Japanese: 鳩の撃退法, Hepburn: Hato no Gekitaiho) is a 2021 Japanese mystery drama film directed by Hideta Takahata. The film is based on the novel of the same name by author Shogo Sato, which was originally published by Shogakukan in November 2014.

Promotional poster for the film The Method of Repulsing the Dove — Promotional material for the film, also known by its working title, The Method of Repulsing the Dove.

Plot

The story follows Shinichi Tsuda (played by Tatsuya Fujiwara), a celebrated novelist and recipient of the prestigious Naoki Prize. Tsuda presents his latest manuscript to his editor, Nahomi Torikai (Tao Tsuchiya). The narrative of the novel is purportedly based on a series of events that Tsuda experienced while residing in a small city in Toyama Prefecture. While Torikai is initially impressed by the work, she becomes increasingly suspicious of the author's claims. This leads her to investigate the veracity of the manuscript, attempting to determine whether the story is a work of fiction or a genuine account of the author's past.

Production

The film was directed by Hideta Takahata, who also contributed to the screenplay alongside Kiyomi Fujii. The production was distributed by Shochiku and features a runtime of 119 minutes. It was released theatrically in Japan on August 27, 2021.

Cast

Tatsuya Fujiwara as Shinichi Tsuda
Tao Tsuchiya as Nahomi Torikai
Shunsuke Kazama as Hideyoshi Kochi
Nanase Nishino as Numoto
Etsushi Toyokawa as Kenjiro Kurata
Maki Sakai as Kanako
Gaku Hamada as Horinouchi
Lily Franky as Maeda
Arata Sato as Tanaka
Wan Marui as Keiko