What sheer brilliance....

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2004)

I complained, was pained, and finally moaned in outrage as this movie was compared to the movie that had become my all time favourite, (LoTR-RoTK). I found it an insult and an outrage. Ironically though, i had not even seen The Last Samurai, but i hated it! (Yes, shoot me now - its that human defence mechanism thing kicking in)
I have however seen this movie about 5 times to date. i love it! I am NOT a Tom Cruise fan, and perhaps that was one of the reasons i was so anti it from the beginning. the thought of Tom playing a wannabe Samurai just put me off. Having said that, the movie was amazing. I never got the impression he was trying to do any such thing. His performance was real and sincerely done. I find myself watching this movie again and again.

The direction is beautiful, surrounded by locations that just enhance the serenity and emotional turmoil enbroiled in the story.
Having spoke about Tom's performance, i will say that the shiners come from Ken Watanabe and Koyoki. Ken was BRILLIANT as Kutsimoto, just BRILLIANT. Every Expression, every gesture, from the shrugging of a shoulder to the wry smile, it was perfectly executed.
Koyoki, amazing. She seemed to have gotten the spirit of what the character of Taka should have been like. I really watch her performance critically to find a falw, yet i find none. She too had this innertly graceful way of doing her scences. She is beautiful and a definite job well done.
Everything else, the rest of the cast, crew...it gelled perfectly.
What a movie, and one that i have enjoyed emensely. With that Said however... RoTK still comes out tops... Haha
10