I usually don’t watch foreign films because I have trouble reading subtitles while simultaneously trying to keep an eye on what’s happening on the screen. I invariably miss something important because I’m too intent on reading, so I have to rewind frequently and replay many scenes. (For the record, I can walk and chew gum at the same time!)

But occasionally, I’ll hear so many good things about a foreign film that it eventually becomes impossible for me to ignore the buzz. That was the case with the 2002 Japanese film called Tasogare Seibei, or The Twilight Samurai. Tasogare Seibei swept the Japanese equivalent of the Oscars when it came out, and I’ve been wanting to see it for a few years now. I finally got a chance to sit down with it a couple days ago, and let me tell you, it was definitely worth it!

Plot summary (with possible spoilers): The film is set in 19th century Japan just prior to the historical period known as the Meiji Restoration. It depicts the daily life of Seibei Iguchi (played by Hiroyuki Sanada), a poor samurai who has recently lost his wife to tuberculosis and is now responsible for raising his two daughters Kayano (Miki Ito) and Ito (Erina Hashiguchi) as well as caring for his senile mother (Reiko Kusamura).

By day, Seibei has a job as an accountant at the grain storehouse of the local samurai clan that he belongs to. Every evening at quitting time, Seibei’s colleagues invite him to go out for dinner and drinks with them, but Seibei politely declines — a habit that earns him the nickname “Tasogare Seibei” (twilight Seibei). Instead, he rushes home to take care of his girls and mother, and to do piecework to supplement his meager income.

Seibei’s life begins to change when he learns that his childhood friend Tomoe (Rie Miyazawa), a woman he has been in love with for as long as he can remember, returns to her family home after getting divorced from her abusive husband Koda (Ren Osugi). Tomoe comes to visit Seibei at his home, and after some initial awkwardness, they become friends again. Tomoe then comes more frequently, helping Seibei’s daughters with the housework and cooking, and generally turning his house into a home.

This domestic bliss doesn’t last long, as Koda comes looking for Tomoe and slaps her around a bit. Seeing this, Seibei challenges Koda to a duel, which the other man accepts. But since Seibei no longer has his long sword, he arrives armed with nothing but a wooden stick. He still defeats Koda, and word of his deed gets around the village.

A short time later, the clan has trouble with Yogo Zenemon (Min Tanaka) a rogue samurai who refuses to commit hara-kiri. This is viewed as disgraceful behavior, so the clan leader sends his best swordsman to force Yogo into suicide. However, Yogo won and is still living in defiance, so Seibei is ordered to fight him next.

After Tomoe helps dress Seibei for battle, he reluctantly heads out for the showdown with Yogo. The two samurai have an interesting conversation before they fight, with Seibei emerging as the winner. He returns home to a waiting Tomoe, and they get married shortly afterward.

My Reaction: I thought Tasogare Seibei was a beautifully understated film that was surprisingly engrossing. I say surprisingly because on the surface, it doesn’t seem like there’s a heck of a lot going on in the film. It’s not about swordsmanship, fighting, or anything that you’d normally expect from a movie about samurai. Instead, it’s about an honorable man whose simplicity, dignity, and humility set him well above his peers.

I found everything about this film to be first-rate, including the acting, directing, cinematography, pacing, and storyline. I usually get bored with “slow-moving” films that chronicle the daily life of the main character, but there was just something so completely different about this minimalistic approach, that I couldn’t help but be drawn into it.

It’s hard to articulate exactly why I liked this film so much. Words like “poignant,” “touching,” and “moving” come to mind, but those terms have been overused so much that they’ve lost most of their impact. So the only thing I can really say to you is that you simply must experience this film for yourself.

Overall, I thought Tasogare Seibei was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen in any genre. I give it 5 stars out of 5 and highly recommend that you check it out for yourself!

I think it’s safe to say that most moviegoers have an irrational opinion about at least one famous actor or actress in Hollywood. For me, it’s Johnny Depp. I cannot stand him and usually end up hating his movies, despite the fact that they are (more often than not) highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences alike. I have no idea why I don’t like his acting; I just don’t.

I had heard that the 2004 film Finding Neverland, based on the true story of Sir J.M. Barrie’s odd relationship with a woman and her cildren, was very good. But I stayed away from it until now because Depp was in it. What a mistake that was!

The truth is that Finding Neverland was an absolutely delightful movie in nearly every respect. Depp stars as Barrie, who, back in 1903 was just coming off a big box office failure. Charles Frohman (played by Dustin Hoffman) is the man who owns and operates the playhouse where Barrie’s works are staged, and he demands a big hit the next time out or Barrie is finished.

We get the feeling that Barrie is the kind of writer who requires a great deal of inspiration to get something out on the page. Fortunately, he finds an incredible source of inspiration as he’s reading on a park bench one day. That’s when he observes the widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet) and her four boys playing in the distance. Barrie ends up becoming friends with the family, and spends more time with them than he does with his own wife (played by Radha Mitchell).

The rest of the film shows how Barrie’s relationship with the family blooms, how other people start talking about the unusual arrangement, how Barrie’s wife wonders what’s going on, how Barrie tries to win over the eldest child Peter, and how Barrie finally comes up with the story of Peter Pan.

I was completely won over by this story and by all the performances in it. I can finally see why everyone says that Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of our generation, and I really enjoyed Freddie Highmore’s turn as Peter. Winslet also held her own as the sick widow, and is slowly becoming one of my favorite actresses.

Finding Neverland is a wonderful film that is both entertaining and emotionally charged. I give it 5 stars out of 5 and think that you’ll really enjoy it!

I finally got around to watching Brokeback Mountain last night. I borrowed the DVD from a friend of mine and it’s been sitting on top of my DVD player for like the last two weeks. I’m not sure why I didn’t get to it sooner — I was perhaps afraid of being let down by the movie. After all, there’s so much hype surrounding it that I thought it would be almost impossible for me to be impressed now.

Boy, how wrong I was! Brokeback Mountain is every bit the spectacular film that everyone says it is. From the cinematography to the score to the acting to the storyline, the movie was just an amazing experience that is hard to put into words. It’s been a long, long, long time since a movie has affected me so much. I cried during the film, of course, and really haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger were absolutely fantastic as two young men who fall in love while herding sheep together one summer on Brokeback Mountain. They think that what they have going is a “one shot deal,” but it turns into an affair that spans more than 20 years. It’s heartbreaking to watch these two men constrained by society and unable to live the way they want. They both end up unhappy, and, ultimately, alone.

Brokeback Mountain is an incredible accomplishment and has put director Ang Lee at the top of my list of favorites. You must see this movie! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. I give it 5 stars out of 5.