An Exercise In Nonsense

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Entertaining film, but badly miscast in my opinion. I couldn't take the nearly 40 year old Forest Whitaker seriously in either the hit-man or samurai context. Isaach De Bankole was great though, lost in translation with his ice cream. I think the film would have worked better if these actors had swapped roles... The mafia guys were either ridiculously cliched or bizarrely comical. The greatest scenes were heavily inspired by better films. The emotional moments fell a bit flat for me, the ending especially didn't hold the weight if should have.

Disclaimer: My boys are almost in high school, so I'm watching certain films with them as some sort of cross between the Criterion Collection and the old ABC Afterschool Specials. My tastes may not apply with your superior parenting skills, so check the advisory....especially if language, sex, violence or puns disturb you.The notion of a code of honor drew me to this film, even though neither I nor my boys have watched any Samurai cinema. I just thought Forrest Whitaker was great in this, and so many other films. I forgot about the mob fixation on cartoons (maybe softens the violence, or in my mind at least lampoons America's love of goons).The modes of communication here are excellent, carrier pigeons *and* a friendship between Ghost Dog and the ice cream man on the same wavelength but only meeting in subtitles. The little readings from the booklet Ghost Dog carries helped to reinforce the Afterschool vibe. But as I recall some were a bit more obscure, so maybe a sideways portal into zen? Perhaps the morality play is here is just about mortality. Or better yet about a just mortality. Boys dug it, so success on that front.

Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai has one of the most unfortunate titles, in my opinion. The title of the film comes off as a mediocre '90s gangster rap/samurai mash up, starring Forest Whitaker. This film is much more than that. It is about a hit-man called Ghost Dog, a kind soul who is indebted to his mafia retainer. By day, Ghost Dog walks the streets, visits neighbours and feeds his pigeons. By night, he kills for the mafia. One day, a contract goes wrong, and his ageing mafia allies turn on him and his retainer. Ghost Dog resolves to do whatever it takes to keep his master safe.Ghost Dog is one of the coolest and most original films I have seen in quite some time. The film blends '90's hip-hop culture with Bushido wisdom in a weird and darkly comedic way. The characters are menacing and goofy at the same time, but not in a campy way. They feel fleshed out, real and vulnerable. The blend of styles is great as well. I am a huge fan of Japanese film, and this blends Japanese samurai elements with 1990's rap culture, blending gang violence with codes of honour and ethics seamlessly.Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai is one of the most under-watched films around. It is easily a cult-hit, and deserves a wider audience and attention.

Pretentious gangster-samurai movie. Had heaps of potential but the plot easily lost focus and drifted for large parts. Heaps of scenes that were just padding. Pretty much anything involving the French guy or the little girl was just there to make up the time. If Jim Jarmusch's idea was to do a Tarantino-meets-Kurosawa movie, he missed on both parts. His attempts at digression to lighten the mood (Tarantino-style) are dull. His plot doesn't have Kurosawa's focus nor pacing.Not all bad. Strip away the pretence and padding and the plot is decent. Action is good. Good performance by Forest Whitaker in the lead role. Supporting cast are weak though. Isaach De Bankolé is irritating as the French guy, especially as his part was totally unnecessary and contributed much to the pretentiousness of the movie.