Brother

Title: Brother
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Language: Japanese, English
Director: ‘Beat’ Takashi Kitano
Starring: Takashi Kitano, Omar Epps (House MD)

"He says, if you kill him with one shot, he'll give you ten bucks."

A man often overshadowed by his later works, he has become something of a well established name both in Japan and overseas. This shows another side to him, fusing traditional Japanese style Yakuza in an American city. Whilst not as strong as much of his accomplishments since, this is in no way a match for the likes of “Goodfellas,” or “Scarface,” but it nonetheless succeeds in putting an original spin on a style that could easily become overdone, paying homage to his inspiration whilst not simply copying it.

Aniki Yamamato, a prominent character in the Japanese underworld faces war with another clan, and only through his death can his family survive complete destruction. It is his brother who offers him the chance to flee to America, offering to fake his death so he can live in hiding with his step-brother in LA. Arriving in the states, he quickly finds his brother running a small time drugs operation, not speaking a word of English and confused by his new surroundings he soon finds himself back in his old routine, seizing control of his step-brothers operation and expanding in an efficient and ruthless manner. Joining forces with a rival Japanese crime gang, it isn’t long before the Mafia begin to take offence…

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this is the position it takes. There are a number of gangster films dealing with the Mafia, or another similar style of gang, but the manner in which the Yakuza operate is vastly different. There is a cold ruthless manner to it, an extreme sense of family, where apologies are offered in body-part form and a true sense of kinship develops between many of the characters. It clearly highlights the extreme lengths gone to prove their loyalty, especially when compared to many of the other gangs in operation. It is this unique approach that provides the greatest draw, allowing a fusion of styles to come across.

But it isn’t without its flaws; as talented a director Takashi Kitano may be, he should not on the screen himself - especially not as the main character. Wooden beyond belief, whilst his cold and disquieted frequent presence fits with the veil of mystery the character wanted to preserve, it makes it almost impossible to identify with. And as strong as the character of Denny (Omar Epps) was – proving further the extent of his abilities, both surpassing and distinguished from his TV work – he was frequently the only one showing emotion towards his new found friend. Even though the actions of Aniki displayed that a clear kinship had developed between the two characters, it felt more like fact than a realistic display, a point of fact over coming off in a natural manner. Furthermore, whilst many of the minor roles were performed aptly, there was simply too many characters to allow any of them to develop, feeling as thin as being named ‘Flunky no.X,’ with even some of what I thought would be more important characters (such as the step-brother, Ken) seemingly disappearing.

Clearly trying to strike an emotional note it fails to do so, and even at times the script felt incoherent, the rapid scene transitions towards the beginning making it difficult to keep up, but where it excels is its stylised action sequences. From cutting off body parts, rapid-fire precision shooting, and Aniki doing his best to help his step-brother in the only way he knows how, lending itself to a number of almost comical scenes. Those looking for plenty of bloodshed will watch as the body count quickly adds up; there are no subtle warnings, no horse heads in your bed, just a re-decoration of your office. With your brains.

With a superbly written soundtrack reminiscent of the ‘Godfather,’ there is much to appreciate in this film. Those who are fans of gangster films, in particular “Scarface,” or indeed of Tarantino-esque ‘comical bloodshed’ scenes will find much here to their liking. Not ‘just another gangster film,’ these Yakuza make their American counterparts seem warm and fuzzy. Cold, raw and brutal in their execution, journey into their world where loyalty is everything, and everyone else is a nothing.