The story is simple, it is set in the early years of the Showa Era in 1932, Japan. The film revolves around three aspiring black belt students each trying to gain respect from their master for the kuro-obi belt. During this era the police is taking over any judo schools for their own purpose and knowledge to over run Japan. Their master suddenly dies and leaves one of his injured student to choose the man that is respectful for the belt.

The actors were terrific in their given roles, because they are real life martial art masters. Akihito Yagi who plays the respectable student Giryu is amazing. Mr. Yagi’s ability to show no anger is righteous and noble. As for Tatsuya Naka who plays the corrupt student Taikan is also great for him to go outside of his code is brilliant and daring.

The movie is a thinking man’s action picture. The cinematography is gorgeous & the fights are poetic & original. “Kuro-Obi” is a movie that demands to be seen. It is also respectable fighting movie that has been missing in martial arts pictures today.

The story is about a young man named Mike Terry who owns a self defense studio, he teaches a class following the samurai code. The studio is seeing financial problems though the young man does not seem to care. Mike Terry knows that his life is tough, but his codes make it easier for him to survive until a tragic night which triggers events which turn his world upside down.

The film amazes me because in the beginning the environment is so peaceful and throughout the movie it opens up so much from the simplicity of it to the chaotic world we live in. Nobody has ever said the road to nobility was an easy path.

David Mamet has written an intelligent film . He has opened up a new world in the modernized samurai picture and it will leave any viewer with amazement. It also has brilliant dialogue which adds so much volume to the story's twists and turns. Mr. Mamet’s alumni cast are perfect for the film. “Redbelt” is a movie that survives multiple viewings, it's one of those films that is rare in cinema today.

Americans were not privileged to see this classic picture until 2005. Upon its initial release, the movie was banned because of an uproar in Vietnam. Though the movie is set in World War II, the story could work for any generation. The film is based upon Joseph Kessel's classic novel about French resistance fighters' lives and how they kept their cool amongst their enemies. The novel was also about traitors and the paranoia of being caught. Director Jean-Pierre Melville gave a lot of input to this film for he was a resistance fighter too. He knew the risks that every fighter took.

The score is amazing and catchy, it makes the film so vibrant. Johnnie To had updated the score for his bodyguard masterpiece “The Mission”. "Army of Shadows" and "The Mission" share a lot of resemblance. Johnnie To claims to be Melville's biggest fan--he tributes his work in many of his movies. If it's not the catchy theme he takes, then he references Melville’s coolness of characters. The list of talent that admire Mr. Melville's phenomenal work goes on and on. It amazes me how a French director made such an influential impact on movies and people today.

“Army of Shadows” is a gritty film about real people and their war. The movie may not have epic gun battles or fights, but the film relies on its characters and their ongoing battle with the enemy. The story plays as a suspenseful cat and mouse game with danger at every corner.

The film is an ignition of daring moments and it’s courageous that resistance fighters would go the extreme for their country. Jean-Pierre Melville has directed a movie that demands to be seen by everyone. The picture is worth every penny, and especially in today’s society the film will question your portrayal for your country. What is a patriot? And would you risk your life for others?

The story is taken from the novel “Peaceful Days”, written by Shugoro Yamamoto. The novel was also the source for Kurosawa’s "Sanjuro" and "Yojimbo". This is the closest adaptation of Yamamoto’s novel. It’s great to see what writer Akira Murao and director Okamoto were inspired by.

“Kill!” is about two men. Genta has given up the samurai code, and Hanjiro is a farmer masquerading as a samurai. They stumble upon seven dimwitted samurai who murder a vassal of the Shogun on behalf of a local boss named Chamberlain Ayuzawa.

The samurai send Genta to their boss to inform him of the success of their mission. Hanjiro goes to Ayuzawa to get a job, and to become a real samurai. Hanjiro’s mind and heart are tested because in order to become a samurai, he has to kill Genta.

It amazes me how the characters' lives in the movie intervene. They have goals, and they could easily be accomplished, but whatever road you choose there are always consequences. The movie does go in depth in that department, but the film also offers a lot of laughs. The humor in the movie is well added, each line or action is done well and right on cue. This is a also a witty samurai movie. With that being said, the movie feels fresh and intelligent, as if it was made today.

“Kill!” is a movie that can work for any audience. The genre is an action-adventure story, but it adds drama and laughter, which makes it feel like an “every person kind of film“. I am astonished how good this picture is and how it paces itself into a truly amazing samurai picture.

The story is fascinating, about Byung-du who is a 29-year-old career criminal working for the middle-rank enforcer Sang-chul. Burdened with a terminally ill mother and taking care of younger siblings, Byung-du is feeling financial pressure as a substitute patriarch. When the big boss President Hwang is cornered by a corrupt prosecutor, Byung-du volunteers for a whack job and wins the big man's trust. However, his real trouble begins when friend Min-ho, an aspiring movie director, asks him to be a consultant for the latter's debut film.

The performances from the actors and actresses were wonderfully done. The cast made it look easy, and that is a trick, especially in a movie full of twists and turns.

I absolutely love the score of the picture. It has a classical instrumental French vibe to it, and somehow it fits perfectly in this Korean crime movie. The action--or should I say killings--was realistic and it shows. The punches, kicks, and stabbings were done realistically. There was no Hollywood element to it. The director and writer, Ha Yu, made an excellent gangster movie. “A Dirty Carnival” has beautiful shots. Though it is violent and gritty, Mr. Ha Yu has a great eye of the world. In this film we see two sides: the civilian side of living, and the gangster side of living. It’s an achievement how he captures them both.

“A Dirty Carnival” is the most realistic and violent gangster picture I have ever seen. The performances and story are captivating to watch. The score is amazing. I love this picture.

Walter Salles is a talented director. In his films, he takes the audience into a world different than ours. Mr. Salles' journeys could be dangerous along the way with obstacles pushing us down, but with his movies the audience always has hope in the end. "Central Do Brasil" has so many gorgeous shots, and the ways Mr. Salles captured the sights and sounds of the country is very impressive.

The story is brilliantly told by writers João Emanuel Carneiro and Marcos Bernstein. Their screenplay gave the two main leads a perfect balance of emotions. At the beginning of the film, the audience is introduced to Dora. We see her as a letter writer and very bitter with her life. We are then introduced to Josue, who is a curious 9-year-old boy. When "Central Do Brasil's" journey does begin, we see the two characters change from naive in the beginning to full of wisdom at the end.

"Central Do Brasil" is a well told story with beautiful shots. The actors were flawless and I recommend this movie for everyone. It's a great journey.

Nai-Hoi Yau, who wrote the screenplay, is very talented. He has written the electrying traid film "Election" for Mr. To. And with this film he makes a simple story, refreshing for the audience. The story is great, about five men hired to protect a traid boss in trouble.

The ensemble cast bounces off the screen, with each character presenting their own litte traits. It was a joy to see a cast so lively, and it shows on screen how each character responds to one another working as a team.

The action was pulse-pounding, with bullets flying everywhere. This being a Johnnie To actioner, he always has this magic of making his cast in a furious action battle so cool. "The Mission" is one of my favorite Johnnie To films. It is stylish but simple and with some twist and turns. It still stands out, looking amazing every time I watch it.

"The Mission" is a 5 star film, and with a Hollywood remake on its way, I hope it also has the vibrant feeling of this one. Because without a great cast working together off- and on-screen, this film would have never worked with its intriguing story and direction.

Sergio Leone's "Once Upon A Time In America" is a classic and flawless tale. Sadly, this was Sergio Leone's final picture which completed his American trilogy starting with "Once Upon A Time In The West", and "Duck, You Sucker". The film is simply magnificent--every frame is breathtaking and moving.

The film was adapted from Harry Grey's inspiring book "The Hoods", about Jewish mobsters in 1920's New York. It's astonishing to me that Mr. Grey wrote this modern classic while he was in prison in the 1950's. Mr. Leone took his work and made it beautiful with an outstanding epic feeling to it. This being Mr. Leone's last movie, it was a lot darker than his other movies. The violence was more dangerous and bitter than watching the man with no name trilogy. But there was still beauty in this movie--somehow Sergio Leone always knew how to accomplish that. It makes me wonder how he made the west gorgeous and with this film the city slums into a dream-like setting. The score adds shades of beauty done amazingly by Ennio Morricone and the emsemble cast was a delight.

This is a 5-star perfect movie about a haunting tale of friends and the mob. It's simply perfect.

John Anthony Burgess Wilson wrote this classic piece of literature which college students and A.P. high school students are reading today. The novel is about a young man named Alex who wants to break free from his evil ways by going through an experiment. I thought the narrative was better told than the movie was, but both sources make a great compilation pack. I don't think Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world--I don't believe in the hype. But I do adore his work and love all his achievements. Mr. Kubrick is a risky director who takes his audience on a compelling journey through darkness without a light bulb or flashlight for guidance. This film is a brutal & dangerous film for anyone that dares to watch it.

When "A Clockwork Orange" was initially released in 1971, America was going through tough times. We were in our second decade of Vietnam; there were riots and spontaneous violence plaguing the streets; a vicious cult leader, Charles Manson, was going on trial; and the drug scene and music scene was a getaway for many of that generation. It was perfect timing for this movie to come out when it did. It's funny how reality and entertainment can intervene. But if you view the film again you can see how this film and novel can work on today's society and the judicial system. The story of a convict trying to rehabilitate himself is a timeless tale. Mr. Burgess and Kubrick were ahead of their time--or maybe it they understood that violence is man's nature; it can't ever vanish entirely from man's world.

"A Clockwork Orange" is a controversial movie and it is disturbing and edgy, but even if you hate the movie you have to acknowledge Malcom Mcdowell's utterly brilliant performance. His role in the movie made the film and I don't think any other actor could ever reach his ugly, witty, and powerful talent. Plus he also ruined my favorite all-time musical, "Singin' In The Rain."

Stanley Kubrick adapted a novel which is violent and it is hard for me to imagine what other director could take us to this level. His whole vision of the flick is haunting until the final reel. But you cannot deny how this film or novel influenced filmmakers today, from Speilberg, John Woo, Tarantino, Oliver Stone, Kar Wai Wong, to Kim Ki-Duk, just to say a few. The novel and film also changed how the media is responsible for elevating hard boiled killers or serial killers to celebrity status. Plus, without this sick movie, we wouldn't get films or entertainment today such as "Hostel", "Audition", or Al Pacino's "Scarface". Also with the launch of GTA4 last week you can't help yourself but think of films that changed our society today, and "A Clockwork Orange" is one of those movies that influenced filmmakers all over the world. Violence is loud and you can't help to acknowledge it because there is no way of hiding it.

I am giving this film 5 stars not for its entertainment value, because there is none, but simply for its breakthrough in cinema. And another thing about Kubrick movies: you can't be forced to watch them, you just have to stumble upon them and be intrigued.