Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess (Japanese: アマルフィ 女神の報酬, Hepburn: Amarufi: Megami no hōshū) is a 2009 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Nishitani. It was followed by the TV drama sequel The Diplomat Kosaku Kuroda and the film sequel Andalucia: Revenge of the Goddess.
Contents
Premise
Diplomat Kōsaku Kuroda arrives in Italy to oversee security for Foreign Minister Wataru Kawagoe against a terrorist threat. However, during the Christmas holidays in Rome, Kuroda is drawn into the kidnapping of a young Japanese girl. After failed negotiations, he realizes the abduction is a cover for a larger plot against the Japanese government.
Cast
Yūji Oda as Kōsaku Kuroda
Yūki Amami as Saeko Yagami
Kōichi Satō as Masaki Fujii
Erika Toda as Kanae Adachi
Rocco Papaleo as inspector Bartolini
Nene Otsuka as Yoshimi Haba
Akira Onodera as Kiyofumi Kikuhara
Shirō Sano as Michio Nishino
Mitsuru Hirata as Wataru Kawagoe
Masaharu Fukuyama (special appearance) as Shōgo Saeki
Kiichi Nakai as the voice of Hiroshi Kataoka
Sarah Brightman herself
Production
A special production by Fuji TV to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Amalfi was the first Japanese movie to be shot entirely in Italy. Filming took place in Rome, Caserta, and the Amalfi coast.
Reception
The film received negative reviews from critics but performed well at the box office. It was the ninth highest-grossing film in Japan in 2009.