THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI

4 out of 5. Yôji Yamada's THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI reminded me a lot UNFORGIVEN. The plot centers around a widowed samurai who has lost any sense of self-worth. He's internalized a lot of the pain and denies himself the opportunity to move on. The acting is really good. The story feels like the last samurai movie that will be made because of the introduction of guns and the end of the Edo period. Slow, thoughtful and very good relationships make it worth a look.

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CITY OF GOD

5 out of 5. I'm sure mostly everyone has seen this by now but Fernando Meirelles has a goldmine in CITY OF GOD. Everything about this film is high-voltage energy. I'm not one to watch too many films more than once, but especially hard-biting dramas like this but man, I have to see it again. Maybe it's because the soundtrack comes up no my Ipod quite a bit and I start thinking about the editing and shots and story...and before I know it I'm feeling the vibe of Brazil. If you ever liked the grit and rawness of THE WIRE...this one is a dynamo.

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ROAD TO PERDITION

3 out 5. ROAD TO PERDITION by Sam Mendes might be a movie you missed the first time around, but it's a real gem. What I liked about it was it's dark quality. For a color film to be a traditional noir that's tough to achieve, but I think it's pulled of well. Secondly the story by Max Allan Collins, based off his graphic novel series of the same name, is very well-grounded and doesn't have that inflated Hollywood-feel. Nothing is over-dramatized and what's there is pretty raw. If you like movies like Unforgiven or Miller's Crossing, this would suit your taste.

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TOGETHER WITH YOU

4 out of 5. It's worth mentioning the terrific tale of TOGETHER WITH YOU by Kaige Chen as well. Again he cements relationships and characters with real purpose and heartbreak. The seemingly colorless despair of poverty just makes this piece shine even more as a father does everything he can to help his son survive.

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