deadmanjones

I'm no expert on Beat Takeshi (yes, he of "'s Castle" fame) or Japanese Samurai films, so I've got nothing to compare against. Nevertheless this is an extremely fun film with a fair bit of blood letting, a certain amount of slapstick, a good helping of drama and a small bit of Stomp/Bollywoodesque dancing. Whether this is what you usually get with Takeshi/Samurai/Zatoichi films I dunno, but they all help towards making a very enjoyable and expertly directed/photographed flick; the mix is certainly something you wouldn't expect from a Western movie. The sword play has computer enhancements to ensure an almost anime level of gore, which seems unnecessary, and the mixture does waylay the narrative you want to hear. Compare it to Kurosawa and you'll be disappointed; compare against Hollywood action and you'll be delighted.

Fellow film snobs prepare to barf - I have a soft spot for City of Angels. I know, I know, it's dreadful movie schmaltz and it's not that good, but it's quirky, well meaning and kinda beautiful. That said, Wings of Desire has little to do with the Hollywood remake. On paper maybe the story lines look similar, but the pseudo-intellectual whispering of Wim Wenders' original has little to do with the supernatural romance of the Nic Cage and Meg Ryan film. This is an over wordy wander through a fog of vague notions that are purposefully never crystallised. That's the point of the film, so if you expect to like that you will. I didn't.

Why this film bombed is a mystery that can only be answered by the audiences who singularly failed to go see it. From Crispin Glover's affecting performance to Glen Morgan's superlative direction, there is not a single nuance of the finished product that is not perfect, horrifying, enthralling or hilarious. Indeed frequently it is somehow all four. Its Tim Burton directing Psycho style (and with many more homages in between) makes it as fantastical as it is thrilling as it is gruesome. This is already a cult classic that is never likely to leave our midnight-movie conscience. It has many lines and moments you will long remember.