Kitano's very good, but I found it impossible to get past the whole "this movie is really boring" thing.

one of the saddest movies i've seen; not depressing, just... sad. downbeat. but also funny and stylish. it's as violent as any other Takeshi movie, but its more concerned than ever with the consequences of that violence. he's great in this, too. to call a Beat Takeshi performance "understated" kinda goes without saying, but he really internalizes everything here. like the rest of the movie, he's very downbeat. the score is beautiful, too, without being sappy. gorgeously shot too.

Takeshi is so good at looking at slices of life and at pensive/sad human drama, and just letting it take its own time to breathe. And then throwing in abrupt violence or weirdness.

Quite hard to get into, but it's very rewarding. Deeply emotional.

Loved the mix between the serene and the full-on action bits.

668

brilliant flow, with no exaendable scenes... damn, how can japanese turn something plain into something so transcending...

#720

Kitano creates beautiful contrast between the brutal violence and the slow, serene scenes in between. The pacing could be a bit faster though.

"Kitano uses his own face as a blank slate with which to sketch a complicated human being." - Jaime N. Christley

a beautiful mixture of violence and beauty, this movie is quite emotional and symbolical..

The mellow humor and quiet beauty cannot ease the exasperating pace and the unsatisfying story.

The first time I watched this film I struggled a little with the pace but by the end of the film I was convinced. This is an exceptional film, certainly not for everyone, but Kitano tells his story in his own time and at his own pace and the end result is a beautiful, violent, melancholic film.

My favourite movie of all time.