Brother (2000)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writer:

Takeshi Kitano (written by)

Release Date:

24 November 2000 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The one guy you trust to get your back when a whole city's trying to put a bullet in it.

Plot:

A Japanese Yakuza gangster is exiled to the United States. Takeshi settles in Los Angeles where his younger...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Yakuza | USA | Bellhop | California

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Takeshi Kitano	...	Aniki Yamamoto (as 'Beat' Takeshi)
Omar Epps	...	Denny
Kurôdo Maki	...	Ken (as Claude Maki)
Masaya Kato	...	Shirase
Susumu Terajima	...	Kato
Royale Watkins	...	Jay
Lombardo Boyar	...	Mo
Ren Ôsugi	...	Harada
Ryo Ishibashi	...	Ishihara
James Shigeta	...	Sugimoto
Tatyana Ali	...	Latifa
Makoto Otake	...	Chief of Police
Kouen Okumura	...	Hanaoka
Naomasa Musaka	...	Hisamatsu
Rino Katase	...	Night Club Madame

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA | UK | Japan

Language:

English | Japanese | Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | France:-16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Portugal:M/16 | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (cut) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:R(A)

Filming Locations:

Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

Heavily cut for violence by the MPAA to obtain an 'R' Rating in the United States.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ken takes the photo of the potential blackmail victim with his right hand while his left hand is on the table. In the close-up he's holding it with both hands, and then he returns the picture with his right hand while his left hand is on the table again.

Quotes:

Kato: [knocked down by a pistol butt] Aniki?
Aniki Yamamoto: Kato?
Kato: [surprised] What's going on?
Aniki Yamamoto: [smiles] I'm at war in America too.

Movie Connections:

References Scarface (1983)

Soundtrack:

Casta Diva che inargenti

Brilliant gangster picture sliced to ribbons by the M.P.A.A.

Brother (2000) marks the English language directorial debut for Takeshi Kitano in this cross over gangster film about a deposed Yakuza living in exile on the streets of L.A. This entertaining and surprisingly fast moving picture (for a Kitano film) release date was delayed in the United States by more than a year. When it was finally released the film played mainly in Art houses and was heavily edited by the old cronies that sit on the M.P.A.A. board. It's impossible to see this movie how it was original meant to be show. Sadly, prior releases (even on video) were the same old prints that were used during it's theatrical release. Ho-hum. I recommend the director's/international version of this film. The M.P.A.A. cut lacks the punch of the original.

A+ (International)

B+ (american)