Rating of
3/4
"Brother" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 05/21/12
When an uncompromising Yakuza leaves Japan to prevent the ignition of a gang war, he joins his brother, a small time drug dealer in America and shocks both his friends and enemies with his ruthless brutality. But when their fledgling organization reaches the attention of the mafia, the cycle of violence soon spirals out of control. Kiteshi Kitano's culture clash gangster movie has the unlikely friendship between his stone-faced and laconic Yakuza and wisecracking petty hustler Omar Epps at it's core, punctuated by explosive bursts of visceral action. It contains his trademark humour, "gangsters at play" and simple yet beautiful direction that relies on stoic imagery and composition rather than the endless dolly shots and pointless colour filters that seem to plague modern cinema. One minor gripe is that Takeshi clearly tempered his vision for the sake of American audiences and his usual uncompromising nihilism is diluted to provide a (semi) happy ending. Not his best, but the familiar US settings and English dialogue make Brother the perfect entry point for anyone unfamiliar with Beat Takeshi's work.
