Aniki, mon frère

As i read most of the previous comments most of us agree that this film is one of a kind. We all enjoyed it on some other level, above and beyond the regular. It shows certain characteristics that we find most interesting, honor,loyalty. Good acting, strange plot, unpredictability. I hope there are more films like this one out there, but its hard to find. I watched this movie as an accident, I hope if someone that reads this knows of another similar movie that is JUST as good or better (if thats possible), this movie has been one of those movies that I will never be able to forget, it has been 1 year since i have seen it last, and every moment sticks out clear as day. Excellent movie, great job Takeshi! Good comments everyone, well said...well thought, pros and cons.

cheers

When I rented Takeshi Kitano's stunning masterpiece brother, it was simply because I wanted to get myself further immersed in Asian cinema. Although, I'm was a little bit iffy because of the fact that Omar Epps was in it, and I was worried that it would be some piece of americanized garbage. But when I watched it,I was completely blown away. It was intelligent without being terribly confusing, and it was violent without being overly gross. This is one of the best movies I have ever seen, and is quite possibly one of the greatest films ever made. The story concerns Aniki Yamomoto (Takeshi kitano, under the name Beat Takeshi) who joins a very well-to-do yakuza family in japan. But when a price is put on his head, he flees to America, to set up shop there with his younger brother Ken (kuroudo Maki under the name Claude Maki) and his gang, which includes a black man named Denny (Omar Epps). They run into trouble with other mobs in the city, but Aniki's style of war brings them on a steady inclination to the top. Underrated and under-appreciated, this little gem is definitely a good one to own, as it is truly a cinematic masterpiece.

Beat Takeshi is a filmmaker so distinct and so completely different from any other filmmaker that you have to be prepared before seeing one of his films to watch something differently than you normally would. Brother is his first overseas production, and to this day his only one, and perhaps its minimal success and marginal fan base is due to its seeming lack of plot, its evasive editing, or something else that Takeshi customarily draws attention to, whether purposefully or not.

Brother is not quite his best film, but you will realize that the focus is not on the story but on the themes of its story. Completely unlike its characters, especially Takeshi's stone cold killer, its story is something to feel your way through. These characters do not feel much. They do. The movie is mostly made up of deadpan scenes of bloody violence, occasional dialogue, and quiet medium closeups. The music, which like in all Takeshi films is lush and emotional, directs our feelings.

Brother is great for fans of crime movies, gangsters, violence overall, Asian cinema, and even action fans, but Takeshi Kitano's style is a strangely deadpan and very personal approach. It's an acquired taste.

This is the 4th Kitano film I've seen recently. It has most of the characteristics of the other films - the sudden, shocking violence, the impassive silences, the same supporting actors, the obligatory seaside scene. But the shift to an American location weakens it, despite the excellent contributions of the US actors, especially Omar Epps.

But the core, unmissable qualities of a Kitano film remain. Takeshi Kitano must be the natural successor to Clint Eastwood as an anti-hero. Most of the stylised violence takes place off-screen, with a flash of humour, then the after-effects vividly on display. The sound-track from Joe Hisaishi matches the screen action perfectly, at times an aggressive supplement to the violence, at other times hauntingly peaceful.

The ending is the film's weakest part, as though Kitano pandered to imagined (or real) American requirements. The out-of-town setting and road movie elements fit uncomfortably with the rest of the film. But if this is the compromise needed to get Kitano to make more films out of Japan, it must be worthwhile.

Normally I like to give more detail in a review, but this is a quick one.

I enjoyed this movie a lot. I'm not entirely sure why. I think mostly it was just plain fun. 'Beat' Takeshi was just brilliant in the role of Aniki. It's a sign of a great actor when he can command your attention without really doing anything.

I loved its thoughtful pace and purpose, and how there was a real symmetry in the story. In terms of introduction of the characters and their interactions, the story closes in reverse really nicely. I won't say much more, as I don't want to spoil it; it's not major, just nicely done.

All in all, I highly recommend it. It's quite violent at times, but if you're okay with that (and hell, perhaps even like it in a Kill Bill kind of way) then definitely check this out.