More than I bargained for

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2004)

I went in to The Last Samurai with relatively low expectations. I'm generally not a Cruise fan and was not impressed with the trailers for this movie. However, a few friends said that the film was excellent, so I gave it a shot.
I'm glad that I did. The movie is beautifully shot, well acted, and tells a story of honor and courage in a very unobtrusive or didactic way. Really a terrific night at the cinema.