Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

bob the moo Murakawa is a member of the Yakuza with his own territory, which is very profitable despite his tiredness with the violence and unrelenting grimness that accompanies his "job". When his boss instructs him to go to disputed territory in Okinawa, Murakawa fears the worst, knowing the last time saw him lose several men, but goes anyway. When the supposed "negotiations" are clearly not going to happen, he has already lost several men and has no option but to make a strategic retreat ahead of further action. Holding up in a beach house on the quiet coastline, Murakawa and his men start to enjoy the freedom away from their daily lives, but the reality of their situation cannot be ignored forever.Playing a similar character to other films, Kitano uses Sonatine to inject humour and joy de vivre into the mix while still delivering on the themes and with the style we have come to expect. The plot with this film offers a period away from the violence that is not so much narrative as physical and Murakawa and his men hold up on a beach to regroup and decide their course of action. It is in this period of the story where Murakawa's tiredness over his life becomes actions rather than just something he says (which was quite an unusually clumsy line to find in this film early on). Where other films have depicted this tiredness as a deadness or stillness in their characters during moments of violence, Sonatine goes beyond this and also has the characters responding to the addition of more to their lives. I can understand why some viewers (happily not many) have seen the beach-set material to be "nothing happening" but to me it is the most important part of the film as it provides more to the characters and makes the rest of the film that bit more tragic.Of course it does the flip side of this as well, which is the deadness and apparent lack of emotion, because it is required to round the character out and make the conclusion such a natural and understandable thing. Those familiar with Kitano's other films will be used to the style and it works to very good effect here, particularly in gun battles where the "winners" only seem slightly more alive than those that are dead – an aspect that may annoy those expecting John Woo action but not to those that understand the characters and how they are being presented (although I will be honest and say that some moments are really a touch too static even by his standards). To the characters violence is something that has become accepted as part of their lives and not in a macho way but in a "beaten-down" fashion. Outside of this the visual style is typically Kitano and I do really like how unusual the static camera and unusual shot-selection works, opening scenes focusing on a character for a few seconds before anything happens etc. It forces the viewer into a mindset of patience that suits the story.In his oft-played role, Kitano is really good as he understands his character and, with minimal expression helps the audience do so too. I did enjoy seeing more playfulness come from his creation in this film and he rose to that also – always feeling like the same character and not just like he has flicked a switch to become "fun". He is well supported by his fellow Yakuza, who are not as far gone but do also display a tangible sense of freedom when they find themselves on the beach – still engaging in acts that "normal" people would deem violent, but at the same time also recognisable as moving away from the nihilistic nurture of their "day jobs".Currently I am trying to make an effort to watch less of whatever happens to be released in any given week but get back through work that I have not seen for decades or have never seen and should. This has meant that I have seen about four or five Kitano films over the last month or two and I do feel that Sonatine is the one where the themes and style that he so often employs come together in the most effective and meaningful way. The stilted and superficially cold style may put some people off if they do not know what to expect but this is not a significant obstacle to overcome for what is an impressive, stylish, engaging and creative film.

oowawa Others have commented that the main character in this brilliant film is a burnt-out husk of a man. Although this is certainly true from one viewpoint, I would like to emphasize an alternative perspective.Murakawa, the gangster, is already one of the "grateful dead." He has been through so much in his life that he is indeed "burnt out," but there is also a good sense to this term. Life's vicissitudes have grounded him in a zen-like serenity beyond concerns about life and death. Life can only draw him out enough to express mild amusement. During a shootout, he stands calmly blazing away, oblivious to the bullets flying around him. It is this divine detachment that makes true "play" possible, as we witness in the playful beach scenes. His personality, or more accurately, his character, is standing on something beyond the phenomenal. He is able to go through the motions of being a gangster, but it is as if he is watching the violent play in which he is involved with a godlike detached amusement. This is much like the character Takeshi Kitano plays in "Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman." The movie is a fusion of gangland action and Buddhist sensibility--a very Oriental gangster flick.The film is a masterpiece--from the serenity of the beautiful Okinawan landscape to the perfection of the musical score. It reminds me of Yeats' famous tombstone: "Cast a cold eye on life, on death . . . ," but I would revise it to say "Cast an amused eye on life, on death . . . ." The fearsome Hindu death goddess Kali, with her girdle of skulls, has one palm raised in a gesture of "fear not." So it is with the calm at the center of this violent film.

shabulia The first time I heard of this movie was when I went to pick up the Zatoichi DVD. It came coupled with the blind swordsman movie and I really didn't know anything about it. A critic's statement, on the box, says "...very reminiscent of Goodfellas." So I thought it might be pretty good.Upon watching this film, I was very angry by the critic's words. Did he even watch the same movie? This film is not some Japanese Scorsese imitation. On the contrary, this film soars where Scorsese films try and fail. Sonatine does have some violent moments, but they are few and far between. This is more of a story of friendship and love that can be found in the most unlikely of places. It is a visual masterpiece that focuses more on plot development through style and storytelling and less on action and adventure.This is a typical Takeshi Kitano film, which is to say it is slow paced and possesses a very artistic quality that touches you deep within. Films like this simply aren't done in America. Kitano is a master of using imagery and general feel to get his point across. This is a beautifully shot film and many images (like the beach scenes) will stick with you after seeing it.As I said before, this is not a big action movie. Many that give it a shot might be disappointed as they have acquired a taste for big explosions and big shootouts, typical of American and Hong Kong action flicks. If that's what you're after, this is not your movie. If you are after a film that wears the coat of a Yakuza movie, but instead focuses on the humanity of its characters and gives you a very unique visual style, you are in for a treat.This movie almost seemed to be a cross between Kikujiro no natsu (Kikujiro in the US) and Hana Bi (Fireworks in the US), both Kitano films. If you enjoyed either of those movies, then sit back and prepare yourself for another masterpiece. I couldn't recommend this movie more.

snowboarderbo This came as part of a package with the DVD for Zatoichi, also by Takeshi, and at first I thought I had scored a really good deal. Then I watched Sonatine. Now I know that the only reason this is included with Zatoichi is because few would willingly shell out money to watch this piece of crap.***SPOILERS***"Slow moving" doesn't begin to describe it. Pointless scene after scene of a bunch of gangsters hiding out in a beach house comprise the bulk of the film. Most scenes appear to have been made up on the spot, with no writing or rehearsal. This goes on for nearly an hour, with excruciatingly long shots of people walking, cars driving, etc. used for transition; some of these shots last as long as 40 seconds. A complete lack of facial expressions on a 30 second close up of Takeshi's face is utterly boring, and seen 10 or 12 times it becomes ridiculous. I actually ended up fast-forwarding thru a lot of the walking/driving/close ups because I got so bored; I just wanted to see the end of the film.This proved to be anti-climatic, as after a terribly written "revenge" scene, the protagonist, who has nothing to fear anymore (he killed everyone) blows his own brains out within shouting distance of a woman who has recently come into his life and who stands waiting for his return. Bittersweet? More like bit o' crap.A complete waste of time.