Isaka’s reputation rests mainly on his extraordinary debut, Focus (1996), an economical and disturbing thriller following the grim chain of events initiated when a television crew sets up an interview with an otaku (nerd) whose hobby is eavesdropping on two-way radio conversations. A subtle critique of the methods of Reality TV and a cautionary tale about the power of the media, it turned a low budget to its advantage, skillfully using handheld camera techniques to implicate the viewer in the action. The theme of media irresponsibility was again central to The Frame (Hasen no marisu, 2000), a gripping account of a television editor who uses dubious methods to slant the news and finds herself haunted by a murder suspect whose guilt was implied in one of her programs. Though more conventionally shot than Focus, this intelligent and chilling film posed important questions about the role of the media while refusing to provide easy answers. On a related topic, Doubles (Daburusu, 2001) investigated the criminal potential of technology, depicting a heist committed against a consultancy firm by a locksmith and a computer ace fired by the company.

Despite their interest in the media and technology, these films were essentially concerned with character. Tada­nobu Asano’s nervy performance brought plausibility to the narrative convolutions of Focus, while much of the complexity of The Frame derived from the skill of star Hitomi Kuroki in conveying the frustrations of a woman struggling to hold her own in a man’s world. The heroine of Detective Riko (Onna keiji Riko: Seibo no fukakifuchi, 1998) was another woman working in a traditionally male profession; here, Isaka deepened a generic plot about a murder investigation by concentrating on her personal life and her relationship with her child.

(Source: A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors)