Rain Fall

I'm writing after watching the movie and reading the previous reviews. Watching the film I couldn't help seeing nearly every segment as yet another sad attempt at recapturing the thrills, twists, relationships, etc. carried out so wonderfully in "The Bourne Identity". I felt embarrassed for Gary Oldman playing this cardboard cut-out of the Chris Cooper's 'Conklin' character. I won't bother listing the plagiarized elements- they are too numerous, too obvious, and would take more time than this sad film deserves. I'll take a tip from you earlier reviewers and sample a Barry Eisler novel. I'm so deeply into Martin Cruz Smith's 'Arkady Renko' novels (again!) that I'm liable to be disappointed. I'll need a trip to the Gulag to get my hunger back.

Based on a book with the same title. It's about corruption and an assassin fending off several factions that includes a police detective who seems to be an honest one. Rain is trying to figure out what's really going on. Don't know why people keep comparing it to the Jason Bourne films. Rain is not a super soldier who has amnesia. Just not a fan of having to read subtitles for a long time depending on the scenes. Also some mushy scenes that sort of seem out of place for my taste but I suppose they have to show that Rain's got a soft mushy side, too. After all, he's not really such a bad person.

(2009) Rain Fall THRILLER/ DRAMA ACTION

Adapted by the novel by Barry Eisler, co-written and directed by Max Mannix that has John Rain (Kippei Shîna) being sought over because of past experiences for he is considered as a suspect for some killings that may have been tied to him. The person in charge for the operation is CIA William Holtzer (Gary Olman). Meanwhile, a guy named Yasuhiro Kawamura (Takeo Nakahara) had just stolen incriminating information by downloading it from an intelligence computer. He is then followed, and upon him leaving the subway, he is then murdered with the flashdrive gone missing. Suspected to have taken the drive is John Rain we find out more about his life as he used to be a part of Special forces mumble jumble. He too is looking for the drive and involves Yasuhiro Kawamura daughter, Midori Kawamura (Kyoko Hasegawa) to retract where it could have been hidden.

The lesser equivalent of the Jason Bourne movies with less action and less suspense and more dramatical moments such as the moments John Rain corresponds with the daughter is quite lame!

Watched this online last night…...relative to much of what I have watched online with Netflix, this was a pretty good movie, all in all. The plot was fairly predictable, almost formulaic. The producers made the right call in casting; Oldman's role is what convinced me to try it......

The dialogue is mostly in Japanese and a good 90% of the film is set in Japan. This means to be prepared for lots of subtitles. I usually do not mind and a fair percentage of my "all-time, top 20 favourites" are foreign. Just that night, I was hoping for a break from reading and as I mentioned earlier, this plot would not have required my undivided attention on the screen.

Cast: -Kippei Shiina,: does a nice job. Felt a bit like this was supposed to be something of a "vehicle" film for him. He did not become one of my new "must watch" actors but I would be interested in seeing more of his work sometime. He played the role of a reluctant "unbeatable action hero". Got the impression that he is capable of more...... -Oldman was not really at his true best, at times it almost felt like an "impression of how Gary Oldman may act"; Pacino does that sometimes in his less stellar performances. Little, oddly timed, fits of mania, the way he conveys the big "master plan" towards the end....... At times it just felt like a caricature of Oldman's best roles. -Kyoko Hasegawa.: Not one who watches many Japanese films, she was a nice surprise! I felt she was the actress who really "made the show". Does a very nice job of playing "the beautiful woman who was in danger"/ "love interest". Not too much screaming, not too much whining, and she did not try to "Rambo" up either. She was interesting, smart, understated, emotionally strong, very beautiful, and showed some real acting talent. She was far more than just a pretty face; I would be interested in seeing her work again. -Akira Emoto: did a very nice job but the role was sure not one to stretch his acting skills. A minor part, but he usually tends to stand out due to his talent and skill.

So, in summary, if you are looking for an action movie on Netflix (or a rental, do not mind subtitles, like Japanese movies (with some Western influence), and one that has a reasonably happy ending with good casting...... go for it. You could certainly do much worse than "Rain Fall".

Rain Fall, like the meteorological event of its namesake, came and went with little fanfare when it was released. Based on one novel in a series by Barry Eisler, it follows John Rain (Kippei Shina), a Japanese assassin for hire who becomes deeply embroiled in a hunt for a mysterious flash drive, the contents of which could have nasty consequences if released. Between the Yakuza, Japanese government and the CIA, Rain has his plate full, especially when he has to take a young girl under his wing who is in danger from all factions involved. Gary Oldman makes twitchy work playing William Holtzer, the unsavoury and corrupt Token CIA station chief. He barks orders like he's in a Bourne film, bends rules and is a morally blank, ruthless A-hole. Oldman plays him without his usual villainous and eccentric flair, opting for a stressed out, nervy turn which suits the gloomy tone of the film. It is a drab yet exciting affair, the intrigue dimmed down to dull greys and muted gunfights that ebb and flow with a minimal pulse. Shina is awesome as Rain, and seems born to play the spy thriller protagonist. Under the radar is how this one plays it, an atmospheric cloak and dagger outing well worth a watch.