Sonatine (1993)
Several yakuza from Tokyo are sent to Okinawa to help end a gang war. The war escalates and the Tokyo drifters decide to lay low at the beach. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Takeshi Kitano
Written By: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Ren Ôsugi, Takeshi Kitano, Susumu Terajima, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura, Ken'ichi Yajima, Aya Kokumai
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Crime, Action
Country: Japan
Where to Stream
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Sonatine belongs to 48 collections
1. boobs (public: moderated by Pickpocket - 50 stars)
2. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2008 revision) (public: moderated by Scottathon - 38 stars)
3. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2010 revision) (public: moderated by MMAlpha - 32 stars)
4. The Guardian's 1000 films to see before you die (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 29 stars)
5. Onion AV Club: The New Cult Canon (public: moderated by theficionado - 28 stars)
6. Neo-noir (public: moderated by iconogassed - 26 stars)
7. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2012 revision) (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 25 stars)
8. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2017 revision) (public: moderated by iconogassed - 22 stars)
9. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (public: moderated by Cinephile - 18 stars)
10. Kinema Junpo 200 Greatest Japanese films (2009 list) (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 16 stars)
11. Best of criticker: Drama (public: moderated by avgcrtckr - 16 stars)
12. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2011 revision) (public: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 14 stars)
13. Road Trip (public: moderated by td888 - 12 stars)
14. Films available in HD (public: moderated by kubricksucks - 12 stars)
15. Suicide (public: moderated by mpowell - 9 stars)
16. Best of criticker: Crime (public: moderated by avgcrtckr - 8 stars)
17. Yakuza (public: moderated by Moribunny - 7 stars)
18. Gangster (public: moderated by djross - 5 stars)
19. Director/star combination (public: moderated by djross - 5 stars)
20. Triple Threat (public: moderated by Dorkovsky - 4 stars)
21. They Shoot Pictures 1,000 Greatest Films (2007 revision) (public: moderated by Scottathon - 4 stars)
22. Best of criticker: Action (public: moderated by avgcrtckr - 3 stars)
23. Japanese director (public: moderated by iconogassed - 3 stars)
24. onderhond.com top 200 movies (public: moderated by Bullt - 1 star)
25. Yakuza films (public: moderated by PerryStroika)
26. Gangster movies (public: moderated by PerryStroika)
27. Versátil Home Video (public: moderated by allegreller)
28. TSPDT 2016 new additions (public: moderated by avgcrtckr)
29. Play Instant (public: moderated by ForrestQ)
30. Slate's 50 Other Best Films of the 1990s (private: TychoCelchuu - 9 stars)
31. 500 essential cult films (not seen) (private: cayh - 5 stars)
32. edkrak films to see (private: edkrak - 3 stars)
33. movies of the year - Brian (private: JooJoo - 1 star)
34. Cinematheque Ontario - Best 40 Of The Nineties (private: Thegoodboy - 1 star)
35. Djross seen at the cinema (private: djross)
36. Favorite Scores (private: Castroph)
37. Djross 1993 top ten (private: djross)
38. action_worth_watching (private: twisp)
39. 2C (private: twisp)
40. To Watch (private: normalchaos)
41. zae's DVDs & Blurays (private: zae)
42. 1993: Year in Review (private: polanski28)
43. Cinetheque (private: allegreller)
44. Shapers (private: DesertPunk)
45. Mr. Hallenbeck's Blu-Ray Collection (private: MrHallenbeck)
46. Djross Japanese feature films I've seen (private: djross)
47. 0: Watchlist (private: KasperL)
48. The Films (private: dhewett02)
Browse the full list of collections
| Date | User | Rating | |
| Apr 27 | Acct303 | 90 89% |
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| Apr 05 |  |
finchereznor | 75 45% |
| Apr 02 |  |
pluviophile | 85 85% |
| Apr 01 |  |
voneverec | 70 45% |
| Mar 23 | nene7 | 100 91% |
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| Mar 12 |  |
Plebeian | 70 86% |
| Mar 03 |  |
deaddilly | 70 49% |
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Like Goodfellas on horse tranquilizers. A strange Yakuza film with a deeply nihilistic heart that permeates through its style and substance.
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| Feb 15 | M_Ranvoisy | 100 88% |
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| Feb 13 | Mystic | 5 88% |
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| Feb 11 | BullyFanatic | 70 29% |
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| Feb 08 | teddybear01 | 75 50% |
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| Feb 05 | Pewoon | 30 10% |
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| Jan 28 |  |
Taha Durmus | 70 47% |
| Jan 25 | breaky | 95 93% |
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| Jan 16 |  |
Mochard | 70 73% |
| Jan 08 |  |
jackalope | 8 59% |
| Jan 07 | key Bey | 82 56% |
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| Dec 19, 2021 |  |
WilzyMikey | 67 68% |
| Dec 13, 2021 | Icarius | 60 29% |
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| Dec 07, 2021 | jacbak | 7 45% |
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| Dec 06, 2021 | ND03 | 40 24% |
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| Dec 05, 2021 | Fluffles | 94 86% |
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| Dec 05, 2021 |  |
IMDBv2 | 75 78% |
| Nov 27, 2021 |  |
bhajansunlo | 75 71% |
| Nov 25, 2021 |  |
omeremre | 60 27% |
| Nov 24, 2021 |  |
jamiejoan | 85 56% |
| Nov 23, 2021 |  |
jal90 | 80 75% |
| Nov 21, 2021 |  |
Teodor | 70 28% |
| Nov 17, 2021 |  |
NickChengdu | 81 97% |
| Nov 17, 2021 |  |
niebaotan | 81 97% |
| Oct 28, 2021 |  |
mehmet?erif | 87 60% |
| Oct 27, 2021 | Sunnydog | 70 63% |
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| Oct 21, 2021 | flipperrbm | 7 84% |
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| Oct 10, 2021 | alwayshere88 | 70 35% |
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| Sep 21, 2021 |  |
Ringshifter | 77 79% |
| Sep 10, 2021 |  |
Alvur | 75 57% |
| Aug 30, 2021 | Gorro | 71 60% |
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| Aug 24, 2021 |  |
Egopus | 82 76% |
| Aug 22, 2021 |  |
matta2006 | 90 93% |
| Aug 16, 2021 |  |
metis | 65 32% |
| Aug 02, 2021 |  |
oskarhu | 79 68% |
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Pretty much about the mood that encompasses both escalation and serenity in appropriate proportions.
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| Jul 27, 2021 |  |
xyu | 95 84% |
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Great
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| Jul 17, 2021 | dsmacpherson | 100 97% |
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| Jul 14, 2021 |  |
rro7ok | 50 56% |
| Jul 03, 2021 | gosunkugi | 4 57% |
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| Jul 03, 2021 |  |
Ashitek | 77 77% |
| Jul 02, 2021 | fkincoffee | 70 85% |
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| Jun 29, 2021 |  |
Sinc Q | 71 61% |
| Jun 27, 2021 |  |
buddhalou | 80 76% |
| Jun 27, 2021 |  |
Roz | 75 58% |
| Jun 15, 2021 |  |
frknerkn | 60 21% |
| Jun 14, 2021 |  |
tirefeet | 60 72% |
| Jun 13, 2021 | xenosapiens | 80 94% |
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| Jun 11, 2021 | zomgmouse | 90 89% |
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| May 31, 2021 |  |
tardini | 75 90% |
| May 25, 2021 | Teerak | 50 19% |
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| May 23, 2021 | danig24 | 9 97% |
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| May 13, 2021 | dhewett02 | 9 89% |
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| May 08, 2021 | Lonewolf2003 | 80 78% |
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| May 03, 2021 |  |
NunMak | 73 79% |
| Apr 29, 2021 |  |
twernt | 8 85% |
| Apr 28, 2021 |  |
moraesfelipe | 95 98% |
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Dry and economic as these Tokyo yakuza try to "restore peace" between gangs - you know, some ally shot some rival. They find shelter at a beach when plot thickens -- the film gets absurdist, goofy, playful and even romantic (Kitano's character falls for a woman he saved from rape). But then of course he gets betrayed - his area's been thriving and he was even considering retirement in early scenes. Gotta love both deadpan shootouts (bar, elevator, final one with lights out) and weird comic bits.
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| Apr 24, 2021 | TSARK | 50 16% |
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| Apr 09, 2021 | akali_ | 83 89% |
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| Apr 04, 2021 | coldesser | 80 0% |
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| Mar 27, 2021 | Swarleyd | 7 41% |
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| Mar 25, 2021 |  |
KateMossFan4 | 3 25% |
| Mar 18, 2021 | coklas92 | 20 3% |
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| Mar 05, 2021 | Tan Solo | 70 52% |
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| Feb 21, 2021 |  |
Zarkon | 80 53% |
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While Sonatine made a splash among international film circles at the time, I find it has largely been superceded by Kitano's Hana-Bi, which features a much richer, deeply personal story for the main character compared to that of the enigmatic, hollow Murakawa here.
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| Feb 05, 2021 | John Marston | 90 92% |
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| Feb 03, 2021 | rag | 50 8% |
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| Jan 19, 2021 | dhewett01 | 50 87% |
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| Jan 13, 2021 |  |
jgreenwood | 65 51% |
| Jan 12, 2021 |  |
homeboy | 78 79% |
| Jan 09, 2021 | Durronfo | 70 55% |
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| Dec 29, 2020 |  |
Vicenzo | 7 67% |
| Dec 29, 2020 | Glebaster | 64 60% |
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| Dec 06, 2020 | mpf2788 | 70 0% |
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| Nov 21, 2020 | napouser | 40 40% |
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| Nov 16, 2020 |  |
Poly | 100 91% |
| Nov 06, 2020 |  |
drdutw | 70 68% |
| Oct 24, 2020 |  |
mert2707 | 57 33% |
| Oct 20, 2020 |  |
Marvinpa | 80 73% |
| Oct 20, 2020 |  |
Nikelodeon | 75 56% |
| Oct 17, 2020 |  |
ZephSilver | 70 73% |
| Oct 03, 2020 | goktugyilmaz | 100 91% |
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| Sep 13, 2020 |  |
kozue | 80 92% |
| Sep 05, 2020 | Krafty | 85 70% |
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| Sep 05, 2020 |  |
lush | 60 33% |
| Aug 20, 2020 |  |
Daisoujou | 85 72% |
| Aug 17, 2020 | Fulgance | 70 47% |
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| Aug 16, 2020 |  |
Charlie | 70 56% |
| Aug 15, 2020 |  |
devonorxi | 70 63% |
| Aug 04, 2020 | favery | 50 40% |
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| Jul 30, 2020 | Meliora | 70 5% |
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| Jul 24, 2020 | Pustulious | 4 61% |
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| Jul 23, 2020 |  |
cascade | 64 51% |
| Jul 13, 2020 |  |
TheShiznit | 67 91% |
| Jul 08, 2020 |  |
saner | 49 13% |
| Jul 04, 2020 |  |
kappeuter | 50 13% |
| Jun 12, 2020 | D Lightman | 60 41% |
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| Jun 11, 2020 | Matt92 | 60 5% |
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| May 25, 2020 | nudgington | 34 2% |
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| May 25, 2020 | Winston4th | 87 82% |
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| May 17, 2020 | cayh | 80 73% |
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| May 11, 2020 | fenrire | 90 77% |
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| Apr 26, 2020 | am4 | 40 13% |
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| Apr 25, 2020 |  |
tom20 | 85 82% |
| Apr 23, 2020 |  |
denizbergun | 86 32% |
| Apr 18, 2020 |  |
offlineoz | 80 75% |
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Under Quarantine Film Reviews #52: A visually striking elegy on the yakuza genre. By subverting the usual genre tropes and juxtaposing the calmness of the beach and jarring violence, Takeshi manages to create something both beautiful and very funny.
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| Apr 05, 2020 |  |
cankutozturk | 78 83% |
| Mar 14, 2020 | marcocev | 50 14% |
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| Feb 20, 2020 | barryegan | 60 19% |
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| Jan 20, 2020 | CineLounge | 73 77% |
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| Jan 19, 2020 | bandwich | 85 52% |
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| Jan 17, 2020 | bolinek | 40 42% |
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| Jan 09, 2020 | KamilPPP | 80 59% |
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| Jan 06, 2020 | Grandaddy | 70 62% |
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| Jan 03, 2020 |  |
enokarakurt | 75 34% |
| Jan 03, 2020 |  |
neurophate | 82 79% |
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When you are looking for a movie about Yakuza, you've come to the right place, but despite the fact that the description suggests internal mafia conflicts, the most important part of this movie is the excellent representation of the emotional and psychological side of the main character.
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| Dec 28, 2019 | pieropegs | 70 35% |
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| Dec 28, 2019 |  |
Yiannos | 83 95% |
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Kitano's successful subversion of the crime film is no longer a novelty, but he crafted several memorable scenes that alternate swiftly between tranquil beauty and violent brutality. The effect is jarring yet coherent as these juxtapositions gain force through repetition, revealing the starkness and fragility of the world its characters inhabit. Kitano's staging of the final shootout, with flashes of gun fire ricocheting off reflective surfaces, has been often imitated but never bettered.
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| Dec 09, 2019 |  |
overrated | 77 86% |
| Nov 24, 2019 |  |
soraxtm | 80 78% |
| Nov 18, 2019 | _josef_k | 82 90% |
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| Nov 02, 2019 | account2 | 60 64% |
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| Nov 02, 2019 |  |
DarrenCB | 80 64% |
| Oct 26, 2019 |  |
kritikos | 8 61% |
| Oct 13, 2019 |  |
apsays | 78 82% |
| Oct 13, 2019 |  |
Angliche92 | 79 74% |
| Oct 11, 2019 | 8505144 | 72 49% |
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| Oct 11, 2019 |  |
Sayyadî | 80 86% |
| Oct 04, 2019 | RWL | 75 62% |
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| Oct 03, 2019 | pjotor | 60 69% |
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| Oct 01, 2019 | HavokVenom | 85 82% |
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| Sep 07, 2019 | tomi | 80 66% |
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| Aug 30, 2019 | Mathijsvdm | 80 61% |
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| Aug 28, 2019 | renbeaudach | 70 77% |
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| Aug 21, 2019 |  |
peyrin | 75 69% |
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Felt a lot harder to get a proper read on the characters compared to Fireworks but Kitano films the countryside spectacularly as always.
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| Aug 09, 2019 |  |
bal3x | 60 45% |
| Aug 03, 2019 |  |
AFlickering | 4 60% |
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the hijinks which constitute the bulk of the film aren't removed from the detached real-world violence that weighs upon murakawa's spirit so much as childish caricatures of the same. this made me think of THE ACT OF KILLING; memories of past violence therapeutically reconstructed as something fun, colorful... cinematic. murakawa's temporary eden is not functionally dissimilar to a movie theater, and one wonders whether kitano himself would still be alive were it not for the outlet of cinema.
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| Jul 07, 2019 | ryan1984 | 90 71% |
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| Jun 29, 2019 | Parasite | 90 98% |
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| Jun 28, 2019 | amirmohsen | 67 13% |
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| Jun 26, 2019 | xombiemonkey | 8 76% |
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| Jun 21, 2019 |  |
Nangijala | 95 98% |
| Jun 21, 2019 | NEOLITHICC | 80 16% |
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| May 30, 2019 |  |
Possebon | 83 78% |
| May 11, 2019 | goldfinger | 65 46% |
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| Apr 28, 2019 | josefknecht | 75 90% |
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| Apr 15, 2019 |  |
sakaerka | 91 89% |
| Apr 09, 2019 |  |
howabe | 9 97% |
| Apr 07, 2019 | TheRuins | 70 88% |
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| Apr 01, 2019 | basu | 98 95% |
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| Mar 30, 2019 | skb2933 | 95 92% |
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| Mar 18, 2019 |  |
Dumptruk4Lif | 92 83% |
| Mar 17, 2019 |  |
lucius | 80 86% |
| Mar 17, 2019 | lillakniven | 80 87% |
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| Mar 17, 2019 |  |
seeayesix | 85 94% |
| Mar 17, 2019 | tallkotte | 6 62% |
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| Mar 13, 2019 | Chrysophylax | 70 51% |
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| Mar 10, 2019 |  |
Excelsior | 75 87% |
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ohcalypsoh | 80 83% |
| Mar 06, 2019 | elimpe | 70 50% |
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| Mar 05, 2019 | mate_cosido | 90 91% |
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| Feb 22, 2019 | sandman248 | 90 81% |
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| Feb 04, 2019 |  |
tsumanne | 77 77% |
| Feb 01, 2019 | sleepythug | 85 42% |
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| Jan 30, 2019 | knives | 78 67% |
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| Jan 19, 2019 |  |
twijfel | 83 99% |
| Jan 04, 2019 | mrmiffy | 70 66% |
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| Jan 04, 2019 | prixcn | 75 51% |
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| Jan 02, 2019 | inemuri | 73 44% |
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| Dec 28, 2018 | chengming | 65 47% |
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Didn't feel this one. All the beach stuff seemed superfluous, and the rest was boring.
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| Dec 28, 2018 | FraGil | 75 66% |
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| Dec 23, 2018 |  |
jobsbronson | 10 21% |
| Dec 21, 2018 | chuckdog | 80 71% |
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| Dec 15, 2018 |  |
iqcumber | 71 58% |
| Dec 01, 2018 | Dr.N0 | 80 60% |
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| Nov 25, 2018 | bones_r | 60 33% |
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| Nov 09, 2018 | Pickle_Man | 95 86% |
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What if being a Yakuza was all about being bored and desensitized? Like the other Kitano I've seen (Violent Cop) there's a fantastic compositional beauty to the film. Nothing in the frame is ever particularly flashy or visually stimulating, in fact it's often drab or banal, but taken as a whole, the composition of the frames is gorgeous, and the camera is content to linger, mostly static. Is it just me or is the score ripping off Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield/The Exorcist)?
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| Oct 05, 2018 | skarli | 55 18% |
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| Sep 30, 2018 | kemalbc | 80 48% |
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| Sep 21, 2018 |  |
donmateo | 55 38% |
| Sep 21, 2018 | ce8 | 73 79% |
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| Sep 16, 2018 | bfn | 73 60% |
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| Aug 24, 2018 |  |
Phantom Nook | 52 7% |
| Aug 16, 2018 | Nackerman | 85 90% |
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| Aug 11, 2018 | cemilcan | 80 82% |
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| Aug 07, 2018 | filmbantha | 50 11% |
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| Jul 29, 2018 |  |
Bonafide | 70 39% |
| Jul 27, 2018 |  |
themadelf66 | 68 32% |
| Jul 27, 2018 | Caracortada | 20 4% |
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| Jul 25, 2018 | emberglow | 80 59% |
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| Jul 10, 2018 | AchwellFoley | 78 85% |
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| Jul 08, 2018 | theWatcher | 77 83% |
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| Jul 01, 2018 | CinemaLover7 | 80 39% |
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| Jul 01, 2018 |  |
Kaan Kavusan | 80 83% |
| Jun 28, 2018 |  |
erkayama | 85 86% |
| Jun 04, 2018 | dracular | 60 74% |
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| May 29, 2018 | f3nris | 97 95% |
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| May 18, 2018 |  |
IlPara | 85 85% |
| May 07, 2018 | Siegel Hans | 60 34% |
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| May 05, 2018 | gdenardo | 100 95% |
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| May 05, 2018 | horselover | 90 85% |
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| Apr 29, 2018 | Jet- | 82 84% |
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| Apr 28, 2018 |  |
flake | 70 60% |
| Apr 23, 2018 | chone | 80 75% |
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| Apr 20, 2018 |  |
Triptolemos | 65 75% |
| Mar 30, 2018 |  |
Fatchrisb | 77 48% |
| Mar 14, 2018 | thirdeye42 | 72 53% |
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| Mar 14, 2018 |  |
glumpy_99 | 93 86% |
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Mesmerising crime saga is a triumph for Kitano the actor and director -- perfectly combines graphic violence with absurd humour (sometimes in the same moment) and anchored by Kitano's acting performance - he makes Eastwood's Man With No Name a chatterbox by comparison, but every subtle expression and change of physical stance speaks volumes. Mid-section set beachside is beautifully photographed, though the pacing slows somewhat and feels a little out of balance with the first and third acts.
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| Mar 10, 2018 |  |
Cipher067 | 70 64% |
| Mar 09, 2018 |  |
scott.mcc | 80 86% |
| Feb 22, 2018 |  |
drivemycar | 3 42% |
| Feb 11, 2018 |  |
Snufkin88 | 86 91% |
| Feb 11, 2018 |  |
kito1 | 60 48% |
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I think I took a break somewhere in the middle and haven't continued since. But I remember the likeable protagonists and the charming beach scenery. Will rewatch some time.
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| Feb 03, 2018 | jpn | 4 67% |
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| Jan 29, 2018 | rememberthis | 70 57% |
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| Jan 27, 2018 | allneonslike | 85 95% |
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| Jan 22, 2018 | senorroboto | 85 54% |
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| Jan 19, 2018 | mahvolus | 80 93% |
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| Jan 12, 2018 | BrockRogers | 100 96% |
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| Jan 08, 2018 |  |
baleman | 70 38% |
| Jan 03, 2018 | zumplo | 80 38% |
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| Jan 01, 2018 |  |
Cigo | 7 47% |
| Jan 01, 2018 |  |
cetincelik | 80 75% |
| Dec 29, 2017 | dcibarnaby | 90 87% |
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| Dec 24, 2017 | Old_Spriggan | 75 62% |
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| Dec 20, 2017 | Systematicer | 30 8% |
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| Dec 10, 2017 | Cqoicebordel | 82 90% |
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| Dec 07, 2017 |  |
flowing | 23 11% |
| Dec 06, 2017 |  |
FancyMike | 4 58% |
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Beach Takeshi
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| Nov 29, 2017 | Cocoa | 50 26% |
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| Nov 24, 2017 | njm1211 | 94 67% |
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| Nov 18, 2017 |  |
RadioFreeLee | 86 81% |
| Nov 17, 2017 |  |
teaty666 | 70 88% |
| Nov 15, 2017 |  |
pyramidsong | 94 67% |
| Oct 22, 2017 | falsebinary | 58 14% |
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| Oct 21, 2017 | Tarnop | 85 78% |
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| Oct 17, 2017 |  |
bybrt | 60 45% |
| Oct 14, 2017 | fernsebner | 80 58% |
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| Sep 10, 2017 |  |
kate_p | 80 77% |
| Sep 02, 2017 | secludix | 60 51% |
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| Aug 21, 2017 | izwt936g | 97 94% |
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| Aug 14, 2017 |  |
Ahmland | 90 52% |
| Aug 11, 2017 |  |
Jungle_Julia | 75 80% |
| Jul 14, 2017 | geckoteck | 79 79% |
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| Jul 07, 2017 | Pratchett3 | 6 32% |
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Displaying 1 to 250 of 985 total ratings: Prev | Next
| Average Percentile 66.6% from 985 Ratings |  |