The Japanese movie Bushi no Ichibun was released in the U.S. on November 2nd as Love and Honor.
So yes, I am a bit behind the times. But if you get a chance to see this movie do yourself a favor and check it out.
Personally I my preference in movies leans towards those that involve guns. Or dinosaurs. Or dinosaurs with guns. But until some Hollywood bigwig buys my script for Ninja Dinosaurs Vs. Vixen Amazon Samurai With Guns IV (Hey, Starwars started with #4 too! It is a recipe for success!) I will have to make do with lesser films. One of the best of these lesser films (it lacks both guns AND dinosaurs AND car chases.) is Love and Honor. (Bushi no Ichibun)
In spite of it being a “samurai” movie it almost has a complete lack of bloodshed. Instead it focuses on things like “story” and “plot” and “character development” stuff that, in general I try to avoid. Kimura Takuya, singer from the “Boy-Band” SMAP (I use that term loosely as they haven’t been boys since the Reagan administration.) spends a busy two hours in Love and Honor proving that he does in fact posses some talent, though admittedly not in the singing or dancing department.
In all seriousness though, In a nutshell, Kimura is a low level samurai who works as a professional food taster who is blinded by poisonous fish. He and his wife must then deal with depression, financial crises, love and betrayal as the vultures come circling in. It is one of the best movies I have seen in the last year, and one of the few Japanese movies I have seen where I thought “Wow, someone really should subtitle that movie and release it in the states.” Then I remember that most people have no taste. (For proof submit every Eddie Murphy movie since Beverly Hills Cop 2)
The movie itself forms the final instalment of a loose trilogy that focuses on hard-luck samurai. The previous two movies (Twilight Samurai and Hidden Blade) are already available on English-subtitled DVD. Both are excellent films but from what I have seen most people agree with me that they are not of the same caliber as Love and Honor.
The following clip actually has nothing to do with the movie Love and Honor, other then it also involves samurai and is also full to the brim with awesome.
Repatriate 