Be My Slave (2012) @ 私の奴隷になりなさい

Mayama Akihiro flicks Mitsu Dan's bean in Be My Slave (2012).

Took this from the Facebook fan page.

At a glance:

Tôru Kamei's Be My Slave (私の奴隷になりなさい transliterated as Watashi no Dorei ni Narinasai) is an adult drama based on a Shu Satami novel, featurin model Mitsu Dan 壇蜜 (born Shizuka Saito) in the titular role. She plays an employee at a publishin company with some serious sexual needs, lurin a younger colleague (Mayama Akihiro) into her voyeuristic perversions before we're introduced to a game master fetishist (Itao Itsuji) who seems to hold all the cards. This movie reportedly "conjures up the spirit of classic Nikkatsu roman-poruno, a lineage solidified by the presence of Dan’s industry predecessor, Aya Sugimoto, who starred in the recent remakes of the old Hana to Hebi movies." If you know what that means, then you stand a better chance than me at appreciatin it.

Bad news on the doorstep:

Consider it your disclaimer that I really don't dig conventional Oriental porn, especially those Japanese ones with exaggerated resistance. So I'm not the kinda movie reviewer who'd know the difference between an AV model and a gravure idol. However, I did watch the extended, 111-minute director's cut of this full-frontal movie and I'm not glad to report that it failed to get a rise outta me, if you'd pardon the pun. The story is nothin new, the sex is unbelievably borin and Mitsu Dan ain't my idea of a good time, no matter how many dildos and vibrators she wants stuffed into all her orifices. Preferences aside, her unremarkable performance makes the whole movie pointless and borin to me.

What?

Perennial wonderment:

The sex appeal of docile Japanese women. I'm right at the other end of the spectrum here and usually find myself alone when friends gawk at diminutive, titless Asian girls.

Reminds me of:

That other sex movie that bored my tits off - Natali 3D 나탈리 (2010).

Watch out for:

The toy-assisted DP scene. You can actually spot Itao Itsuji lookin quickly to the cameramen for further instructions after givin Mitsu Dan a crisp slap on her arse. Talk about ruinin the mood!

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Mitsu Dan simulates a DP here for your viewing pleasure.

I'd recommend a rewatch of Tokyo Decadence (1992) if you're lookin for a similar fix. Anyway, check out the official website for more information about this unnecessary movie, if you understand Japanese.★★

Bonus material:

Like what you see? Well, there ain't much more where that came from.

Dear Doctor (2009) @ ディア・ドクター

"I'm not with Amway, I swear."

At a glance:

Bogus medicine and Japan’s ageing population gets Miwa Nishikawa’s tender touch in translatin this wonderful drama to a big screen feature that has been heavily decorated with awards since its 2009 release. The screenwriter and director, emerges from her 2006 courtroom melodrama Yureru ("Sway") with a convincin character study. It’s no real spoiler to disclose that Dr. Osamu Ino (Tsurube Shofukutei) is in fact, no doctor at all. However, in the quiet village where he operates, it doesn’t look like he needs to be one. Young med school grad Dr. Soma (Eita), veteran nurse Akemi Ohtake (Kimiko Yo from Departures, 2009) and opportunist drug salesman Masayoshi Saimon (Teruyuki Kagawa from Twentieth Century Boys, 2008) are all trapped between ignorance and ignorin – some just don’t know, while others simply don’t want to. Why should they do somethin, when the villagers prize the attention and care from the man over any real medical help he actually gives? The charade advances to its final stage when young widow Kazuko's (Kaoru Yachigusa) mysterious stomach pains worsen and her city doctor daughter (Haruka Igawa from Tokyo Sonata, 2008) threatens to visit.

"Come on, you nitwit.
Every first year medical student knows that."

Bad news on the doorstep:

May be overlong (2 hours 7 minutes) and excessively elaborate but culminates in a satisfyin, fable-like endin that is hugely rewardin for anyone who ever knew anythin about the human condition.

Perennial wonderment:

I hate Amway and all affiliated MLM fraudsters, how about you?

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

The wry humour that underpins Dear Doctor a.k.a. ディア・ドクター provides great contrast to the danger at hand. It’s a flowin movie that asks, at every juncture, how easily we disregard the failure of the system and the medical monsters it creates. With its superbly conflicted characters anchored by the demonstrable depth of their portrayals, you can look forward to an entertainin moral epic suitable for mature audiences. Highly recommended.★★★★

Hana (2006) @ 花よりもなほ

"I don't wanna be a samurai. I just wanna have sex all day."

At a glance:

There are quite a few Japanese movie titles which start with "hana" (meanin "flower") and some of these simply get the short title when they reach other countries. It was tough to tell them all apart but this isn't the murder mystery I thought I was gonna watch! Somewhere in pathetic, rural Edo (old Tokyo) a few hundred years ago, a travellin samurai (Junichi Okada) stays in decrepit conditions as he struggles to locate his father's killer. Life however, is never that easy because nobody will give him respect until he performs that sacred task, except perhaps the hot widow-next-door, Osae (Rie Miyazawa) and his young son. As time goes by, the contemplative samurai discovers that the ancient codes seem to be a hindrance on the way by which he really wants to live his life.

Bad news on the doorstep:

"We have come to kill the LGBT community
that threatens our values!"

This movie is directed by Hirokazu Koreeda who is well-known for his morbid themes of death and loss - yet the movie explores these with the most annoyin lack of attention and sobriety. Although I have only read about his impressive line of movies, they certainly promise some hard-hittin drama. Did I miss the point, or does this movie simplu not translate well to foreign audiences?

I can't remember if I cried:

I wasn't kiddin about this bein
a lazy Sunday afternoon movie.

It's obvious the film isn't meant to be a silly farce but much of the story has been muddled by unhelpful sidetrackin and an excess of dialogue - or is it an excess of subtitles? This is definitely not your average samurai movie, what with its black humour and light overtones. The subject matter of the redundant samurai is sufficiently discussed but lacks any sort of cinematic impact for it to retain resonance. The 'boyband' samurai actor just couldn't carry any real pain or guilt in his performance. Also, too much of our attention is diverted to the village idiot, the lover of the landlord's wife and also other bit-part characters which gives the movie an episodic, lazy afternoon viewin feel.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

 Despite its rich historical and cultural details e.g. the (literally) shitty 17th century outhouse, the village plays and also a subplot on the famous 47-ronin story, this movie projects a stubborn lack of urgency. The directional kamikaze is finally committed when a dissatisfyin, all-too-pleasant endin was served.★★

Kamome Diner (2006) @ かもめ食堂

"Wanna try our kopi luak?

At a glance:
The people from the Land Of The Rising Sun tryin to carve out a life in the Land Of The Midnight Sun – it can't get more ironic than that! Yet, Kamome Diner かもめ食堂 isn’t about dissent or conflict; instead it’s about celebratin the wonderful details in life which escape us every day. You can read on its official website (still up today!) that the story is based on a novel written by popular writer Yoko Mure who apparently has countless female fans for her emotional portrayal of people livin modest lives. Mure wrote the full-length novel in response to the film’s idea for production. It’s said to be an unusual novel, which fully captures the atmosphere of the city’s street corner, although Mure herself has never been to Finland (which by the way, is apparently the closest European country to Japan via a 10 hour flight from Tokyo). Sachie (Satomi Kobayashi) is a Japanese woman who runs a diner (she insists it’s not a restaurant because "that’s too formal") in Helsinki, Finland. Nobody visits her Kamome (Japanese for 'seagull') diner except Tommi, a young blonde Finn who loves Japanese manga. Soon Sachie meets Midori (Hairi Katagiri), an awkward woman who lands in Helsinki with no real reason. The two make quick friends as business start to pick up due to their patient, unassumin approach to the locals. When lost 'tourist' Masako (Masako Motai) joins the fray, these Japanese women truly find the meanin of life, as they realise that everythin which is important usually isn’t!
Bad news on the doorstep:

None, really. I could write that synopsis a hundred times but still wouldn’t capture the precise flavour of the film. That’s because Kamome Diner is such a quiet little gem of a movie that offers somethin for every kind of viewer. It’s drama, it’s comedy and sometimes even social commentary – but whatever it is, it’s very gentle and dignified, never succumbin to pushy, message-driven plot devices. The performances here are top-notch, my favourite being the maternal Masako Motai (fabulous in director Naoko Ogigami’s first feature film Yoshino’s Barber Shop – but take nothin away from the cast because everyone delivered a satisfyin dimension to the film.
Perennial wonderment:
How do you sing the theme song to the Gatchaman cartoon (G-Force to Malaysian kids in the 80s)?

Reminds me of:

Director Naoko Ogigami's other movie that I enjoyed - Yoshino's Barber Shop (2004) @ バーバー吉野. This one's better, though.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
With its host of colourful, quirky and mostly rootless characters, it’s difficult not to find yourself fixated on the story, despite there not being much of one! Everythin happens by chance and people come largely unexplained. This makes it fun to watch because the character build-up is more gradual and natural, much like how we talk to strangers. The entire film could be said to be a conversation between strangers – and we don’t need to be bogged down by the harsh realities of distrust. The characters take each other as they are – and invite us to do the same. Shot with such delightful and rich observations on geography and society, the film has immense international appeal. Kamome Diner opens doors and builds bridges, invitin people in for a look at what’s on the cultural menu, without askin for too much thought or attention. We feel optimistic about life again and for once, feel-good cinema never felt so easy to believe. ★★★ 1/2

Trailer for the curious:

My Rainy Days (2009) @ 天使の恋

Gravure model-turned actress Nozomi Sasaki (佐々木 希) for all your lolita needs.

At a glance:

Cute as a button. In other words, jailbait.

Not that this is a Vatican daily and we're too uptight - but Cathay-Keris Films release My Rainy Days (2009) @ 天使の恋 @ 出租天使 (Romanised Japanese transliteration: Tenshi No Koi) is first and foremost, a very dangerous movie. No, we're not even talkin about the sleazy-lookin poster, which depicts the glorious bare back of Nozomi Sasaki as Rio, the schoolgirl whore who falls in love 35-year-old history teacher Kouki Ozawa (Shosuke Tanihara) after a chance meetin. We're talkin about how a popular mobile phone novel now gets NC16 screen time in a social irresponsible movie that glosses over the serious issue of child prostitution with glam halter tops, credit cards and Louis Vuitton umbrellas, making it merely incidental in what is, in essence, a love story with no moral resolution.
Bad news on the doorstep:

If only he could resist.

The danger in making a commercial movie for general release that intentionally overlooks opinion (especially when one is obviously needed) is that people, regardless of age, might really think that these things are normal and socially tolerated. This is ironically worse than the position where a movie glorifies lolita lifestyle from the outset. In My Rainy Days, we are treated to a two-hour long doomed (and potentially illegal) relationship between two people, which is stylishly shot but frighteningly hollow. Undertones of abandonment, bisexuality and feminism carry the film but everythin is incidental to the plot and the sum experience is largely unrewardin.

Love hurts.

Perennial wonderment:

Lolitas.

Reminds me of:

Lolitas.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

If none of this bothers you and you really are looking for a movie with some pretty movin pictures to look at, My Rainy Days is by and large an unlikely Japanese romance that is mildly entertainin in patches (despite replicating the overdone brain tumour plot device you get in every other Korean drama) thanks to the MTV chemistry between the lead pair and some unexpectedly rich story detail. You feel that writer and director Yuri Kantake knows exactly what he wanted. The problem is whether it's what you want as well.★★
Bonus material:

Surely you could do better than this.

Hachiko: A Dog's Story (2009)

At a glance:
Shall we call this genre dog drama? I can think of plenty of similar titles of late. This one's an American reupdate on the Japanese movie Hachikô Monogatari (1987), based on real life events about an Akita whose owner died and the animal theatrically waited everyday for the next nine years at the train station for his master to return. Entrusted to the able hands of that Swede Lasse Hallström, the man behind offbeat, sensitive stuff like Chocolat (2000), The Cider House Rules (1999) and My Life As A Dog (1985), you get a winsome, heartfelt tale without too many forced soppy moments. That's where someone like Richard Gere is able to fit fine, with that unassumin face of his.
Bad news on the doorstep:
Still PG stuff for the family, in case you're lookin for somethin more directly depressin.
Perennial wonderment:
Why did Sony do a straight-to-DVD release for America? That probably made more people think it's really petty stuff meant for family viewin. It's not. I thankfully got to watch this at Filmgarde in Bugis, Singapore.
I can't remember if I cried:
I didn't cry, okay? I got street cred to maintain. What do you take me for?
Reminds me of:
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993), 10 Promises To My Dog (2008) and Muffin, the Shih Tzu we had who's now an ex-Shih Tzu. Poor Muffin.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
It's got heart and it's boosted by a great score by Jan Kaczmarek. You know I don't approve of soppy shyte so this one will hopefully surprise you. ★★★
Bonus material:

Status of Hachiko at Shibuya Station.

For further readin, see Hachiko.

Astro Boy (2009)

At a glance:
Let's not have a review meant for those who do follow Tezuka Osamu's 1952 manga or its derivatives. Let's have a review meant for anyone who buys a ticket to a cartoon movie in which a boy shoots bullets from his butt. On that level, Astro Boy (also available in Cantonese in some territories, with Nic Cage's part voiced by Aaron Kwok) is a moderately successful project that is by most counts, highly enjoyable. Although it borrows from various animated movies of late (notably the robot junk dystopia in Wall-E and the artwork in The Iron Giant), this Hollywood-style Astro Boy manages to keep it simple and short, going for time-tested emotional hooks and easy-flowing pacin.
Bad news on the doorstep:
While the Imagi Animation artwork won't dazzle like Disney's, the movie amply makes up for it by bankin on a solid, if ordinary, story about how bringin somethin to life against the order of nature may have its drawbacks. We're not lookin at Pet Sematary or Igor here. We're lookin at the seasonal, more-human-than-human arc that leans more towards the romanticism in Electric Dreams (computer), Pinocchio (doll) and Mannequin (doll).
Perennial wonderment:
How much thought goes into voice castin, I wonder? Sometimes they get it right, sometimes they don't. In terms of castin, Nicolas Cage's outrageously soulful persona emanates well when voicin the regretful father Dr. Tenma, a brilliant scientist who loses his son Toby and decides to bring him back to life as a cyborg. As Astro Boy (Freddie Highmore, Charlie in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory), the kid struggles to find his place in the world due to his uncomfortably identity. Bill Nighy (Love Actually) voices a wise professor and Nathan Lane (Timon in The Lion King is a fatherly inventor. They even got Samuel L Jackson to lend his voice for a giant robot named Zog.
Watch out for:
A trio of English robots with London accents. Hilarious.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Director David Bowers and screenwriter Timothy Harris gave this Japanese product a very marketable treatment. Although Astro Boy follows the same pattern as Dragonball Evolution and Speed Racer (other American-produced films based on Japanese sources which failed in their land of origin but sold well in China), it isn't a bad watch at all considerin the number of animated features out there who are tryin (and failin) so hard to rival Disney. Pin this one down as a memorable effort towards that cause.

Yoshino's Barber Shop (2004) @ バーバー吉野

Clearly you might have been born in the wrong generation
not to have known this tactile pleasure.

At a glance:

Masako Motai

In Naoko Ogigami's debut feature, we have one annoyingly low-key movie about small town sentiments against modern change. Told through a few central characters with the main plot device being a compulsory haircut on school children, one would not have expected the film to be such an effective, although slow, social commentary. In sleepy Kaminoe, the good people live a life of silent rigidity - people wake up, get hurried to finish their breakfast, go to work or school, come home to dinner and sleep by night - only to do the same thing again tomorrow. The social structure that enshrines their way of life is never better represented than by the Yoshino haircut - a ridiculous bowl-shaped style, forced into the minds (and onto the heads) of young children through tradition without question. Rattlin their universe of meanin is Yosuke (Hoshi Ishida), a student from Tokyo who waltzes in with his swanky J-pop hair. His refusal to accept the Yoshino haircut triggers an awakenin amongst the townsfolk - where does it say that we all need to be the same?
Bad news on the doorstep:
This movie projects a stubborn lack of urgency. Yet the quiet charm of the story may just win those who'd give it a chance after being initially interested by the colourful characters.

"With the right set of underwear,
I will win me a man."

Reminds me of:
Schoolin days. This film is gentle but very ambitious. The humour sits you down and not up, and sometimes borders on tasteless - but always believable because life is sometimes, exactly like that. Yoshiko's ball-bustin character (played by the wonderful Masako Motai) evoke memories of the strict woman discipline teacher in anyone who was ever a schoolkid, but colourful characters like these, especially the village madman who does nothin but chase people about, are visual representations of the central discussion - do we really need to conform to be accepted? Consider the retrenched father who is strugglin to be accepted for a job, yet when he sings in the bath out of a sudden unexplained joy, he's quickly told by his wife not to disturb the neighbours. Consider also the sexy sister, who buys the reddest, most attractive lingerie to be accepted by her boyfriend. These are the lives of people who are livin for others, more than for themselves. Yet director Ogigami provides redemption and wrote them all a way out - to first learn to accept themselves.
Most memorable line:
A father in the film would tell his son: "Bein an adult simply means bein considerate to others."
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Go watch this movie but don't come back askin for me to be given a Yoshino haircut if you didn't like it.★★★

Trailer for the curious:

Departures (2009) @ Okuribito おくりびと

"What kind of job is this?!?!"

At a glance:
Well I can sing this out to be a profound, pompous study about the livin and the dead (NOT life and death, I insist) or I could just tell you that it's an overlong piece of very ordinary but very precise Jap pleaser. It's about a bloke who lands himself the socially stigmatic profession of a nokanshi - the man who makes a livin prettyin up corpses before plonkin it into a coffin to be whisked away by the undertaker, who in turn makes another cut (seriously, the more I think about it, the more I think sudden, spontaneous combustion is the best, most economical way to die). Discussions on redemption and dignity imbue the film with its silent charm, as we follow the poor guy around for more than two hours while he comes to terms with a stinkin job and also deserters, in his father and his wife.

Bad news on the doorstep:
Havin not heard or seen any of the other nominees for Best Foreign Pic at the Oscars just gone, it's hard for me to gauge the worthiness of this win (and yes, it did) even after watchin it. That's because we all know the Yanks love mystical Asian or Oriental shyte like a fat boy loves cake. After all, that's why they gave eight Oscars to that populist bollocks of a film Slumdog Millionaire, innit?
Perennial wonderment:
Do they really have to make every scene so long and score it so unsubtly? Ingmar Bergman makes a point when he makes you look at someone's face so long. This director dude probably just wants you to admire the porelessness of Nippon skin. And yes, the score - it's annoyingly like the one in that Julianne Moore movie with Ralph Fiennes, The End Of The Affair.
Reminds me of:
Friend of mine who died in a hit-and-run in Penang. I remember the stench of her body when they lifted the lid because she wasn't embalmed well. Breaks my heart. Wished these folks worked on her.
Watch out for:
The job interview. Fuckin funny.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Lovely but too damned emo. Never did like films with understated conflicts that resolve 'satisfactorily' by the end credits. Good addition to the Japanese catalogue of travellin films though.
★★★1/2

The Burmese Harp (1956) @ ビルマの竪琴

At a glance:
Based on a novel, Kon Ichikawa's wife/production sidekick made a good adaptation usin the musical harp as a storytellin device for a war drama. However, this ain't no ordinary war drama. The Burmese Harp a.k.a. ビルマの竪琴 is an arduous post-WWII tale about redemption and resignation, summed up by the religious path taken by a desertin soldier. We are thrown into the mix when a company of Japanese soldiers are fightin in Burma, oblivious to the fact that their country has surrendered, followin the bombin of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Captain Inoue (Rentaro Mikuni) has kept spirits high through song, and the group peacefully surrenders to the Allies. However, there is another company of soldiers who refuse to give in, promptin the British to seek the captain's help. He elects to send our protagonist, Mizushima (Shoji Yasui), a musical man who has some soft skills beyond military requirements. Little does he know that life would never be the same again for him when he fails the mission.
Bad news on the doorstep:
Can appear quite dated. Man next to me was snorin away, had to wake the bastard up. Watched this at last year's Japanese Film Fest at GSC.
Watch out for:
A particularly impressive scene involves the soldiers pretendin to be boisterous and a little drunk, while movin away some dynamites from the view of the watchful British. It's a well-composed scene of suspense and class; and it speaks well for Ichikawa's credits.
Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Not every day you see a movie where Jap and Brit soldiers are depicted with such gentleness and suspect valour. Avoidin sentiments on the Sino-Japanese conflict is imperative to enjoy the film; and thank goodness this is just a timeless piece of solid storytelling that can be viewed on its own cinematic merits. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Pic at the 1957 Oscars in the first year such a category was up.★★★1/2

Love And Honor (2006) @ 武士の一分

Did she just prostitute the family pride for 30 koku of rice?

At a glance:

Rei Dan 檀れい as Kayo

Wonderful – the finer points of dyin are again available on general release! When do we die? Why do we die? How should we die? In a year of movie trilogies (some would hope they stop at just the three), Yoji Yamada puts forth Love And Honor 武士の一分 (2006) the third film of his samurai series after Twilight Samurai(2002) and Hidden Blade (2004). The billin for this movie could almost fool someone into thinking it might resemble that Tom Cruise Hollywood schlock, The Last Samurai, especially its choice of English titlin, but all the solid, subtle elements of arthouse cinema are thankfully retained. The skinny? In feudal Japan, official Court taster Shinnojo Mimura lives with his wife, Kayo, in the palace town. They get by comfortably enough with his 30-koku (enough rice to feed one person for one year) annual salary, although he had always wanted somethin more challengin, like openin a kendo dojo to teach young kids. Tragedy strikes by way of fish [spoilers] – a sashimi dish was prepared poorly and Shimmojo is poisoned. Upon recovery, he discovers he's blind. Kayo and concerned relatives fuss over the fate of the couple, as Shinnojo is now rendered useless in the palace town and his wife wants to work (big no-no). Fortune favours the blind samurai when palace officials issue a decree which would support him for life but Kayo is implicated in a possible sex-for-food trade-off with one pervy Chief Duty Officer. Did she just prostitute the family pride for 30 koku of rice? Disgraced, Shinnojo divorces her without investigatin further, and challenges the 'receivin' official to a sword duel. Yet, there's still a way out for everyone.

Kaidan (2007) @ 怪談

Hitomi Kuroki 黒木瞳 prays in Kaidan 怪談 (2007).

At a glance:

Tae Kimura 木村多江

Kaidan a.k.a. 怪談 (Japanese literal: ghost story) denotes a genre of film (maybe like the Chinese wuxia or Western grindhouse), the sort that this reviewer understands to be ghost stories with an old-fashioned style to it. Just as charmin as the Masaki Kobayashi 1964 movie with the same name (similar elements too e.g. The Woman In The Snow), Kaidan is all about slow buildups and restrained suspense, as it should be. It's not about the sudden face in the mirror you have come to spill your popcorn over in Siamese horror films. Some may see hints of early Bergman horror here because of the number of intense facial close-ups that spook you no end. Still, it is not a character study as much as an old-fashioned ghost story with the requisite themes of vengeance and karma. Rich in colour and context, the motivations behind all the characters in are unambiguous. After a narrator's prologue, young tobacco seller Shinkichi (Kikunosuke Onoe) finds lonely, rich older woman Toyoshiga (Hitomi Kuroki, Tokyo Tower, 2005) and starts a life of mutual need. When this balance changes, we explore the scary bits of Japanese folklore through revenge, redemption and destruction. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned – that's the best teaser I can think of. However, it isn't as one dimensional as that. Kaidan explores existential fatalism and creates fear through systematic progression. One particularly interesting plot device is the infliction of cuts; it is the dread of knowin somethin will get worse before it can get better. What a delight!

Till death do us part?

Bad news on the doorstep:

It runs a minute short of two hours if you're the sort who's only into quick spooks.

Perennial wonderment:

Why do Asian horror films always have to be about haunted objects? Forget the rings, wigs, grudges et cetera. Kaidan works on many levels, offerin a variety of rewards for every type of viewer. It's perhaps best described as an excellent introduction to classical Japanese period horror for those in this generation of cinema who only know the post-modern era made commercially viable by success stories like Ringu (1998) and such.

Kumiko Aso

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Like most Japanese movies, the more familiar you are with ritualistic details from that land, the more satisfaction you will derive from absorbing the whole movie experience. The story traps you in its old world intrigue and unleashes all its fury in the last half hour, succeedin where many horrors fail in terms of endurance. It recaptures an audience right after creatin the openings to risk losin it. What great pacin! Since yakuza actioners will never make it here, this is your best bet for some samurai action.★★★1/2
Bonus material:
Here are some stills from the movie plus a couple of neat photos from the set.

You must watch this movie.