BROTHER -------
In the world of the Japanese Yakuza, 'brother' signifies both a bond stronger than blood and the immediate underlings of a clan Yakuza's oyabun, or father. Writer/director/star Beat Takeshi is Yamamoto, saved from execution by the rival gang who've killed their boss by Harada (Ren Ohsugi, Hana-bi"), who's switched loyalties to save his skin. Instead, Yamamoto is banished and travels to L.A. in search of his younger, half brother Ken (Claude Maki), a small time drug dealer. Yamamoto quickly recreates the Yakuza lifestyle in L.A., slaughtering Ken's suppliers and building his own empire in "Brother."
Known as Aniki (brother), Yamamoto forms a particular attachment to Ken's friend Denny (Omar Epps, "Love and Basketball"), ironic seeing as when he first ran into him anonymously on the street, he shoved a broken bottle into Denny's eye. Aniki's ability to outfox Denny in the bets Denny constantly proffers builds a humorous rivalry between the two.
Not much else is too funny in the violent world Yamamoto forms around himself. Once the Latino drug connection's been wiped out, they form an alliance with young Japanese hotshot Shirase (Masaya Kato), respectful of Yamamoto after the loyal Kato (Susumu Terajima, "Afterlife") stakes his life to prove Yamamoto's worth. Shirase proves too headstrong, though, eventually embroiling Yamamoto's clan in a war with the Mafia which Yamamoto realizes will prove their undoing.
Fans of Takeshi's stylish violence will delight in the gunplay, Yubitsumes (the removal of a finger joint as apology), hari kiri and death-by-chopstick scenes peppered throughout his film, although newcomers may be left scratching their heads. Takeshi's characters are always men of few words, but his Aniki is too inscrutable, his motivation mystifying. His script is like a mosaic - it gives an impression, but leaves us to fill in the connective tissue. Yet Takeshi's exploration of the meaning of family has a resonance which helps us overlook his film's flaws.
Takeshi's Tokyo backstory is confusing to follow, only gradually making sense as the film progresses. The violence ingrained in Aniki's being could explain why he allows his clan into an unwinnable war, yet it doesn't explain Denny's loyalty, which costs him everything. (It doesn't help that Epps, after facing a shattering revelation, plays a revenge scene too lightly.) Kitano introduces a flighty mistress (Joy Nakagawa) for Aniki out of nowhere, then dispatches her just as abruptly. Still Kitano's Aniki is a striking figure with his elaborate Yakuza back tattoo, black suits and dark sunglasses and his final, prophetic gesture is that of a larger than life iconic figure.
While Director of Photography Katsumi Yanagijima's ("Sonatine") Tokyo scenes look like claustrophobic stage sets, he captures an outsider's look at L.A. emphasizing horizontal lines in the architecture and landscapes. Joe Hisaishi provides the typical, retro-orchestral Kitano score.
"Brother" is not likely to win new fans for Takeshi Kitano, but it's an intriguing, if not wholly satisfying, addition to his oeuvre.
B-
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