It's always interesting to revisit an actor's career. Earlier movies they did tend to make people wonder, "You got a career after that?" But their later movies after they get a reputation are pretty good. In Japan, Civil War veteran Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) trains the Emperor's troops to use modern weapons as they prepare to defeat the last of the country's samurais. But Algren's passion is swayed when he is captured by the samurai and learns about their traditions and code of honor.
The Last Samurai has it all: good acting, beautiful cinematography, thrilling action sequences and an interesting premise. Cruise gives a strong performance, as with Ken Watanabe. Edward Zwick brings homges of Glory into The Last Samurai, which definitely works.
My Rating: ****
I love this movie. I think it is one of the most overlooked of the past decade. Cruise really deserved more Best Actor buzz here.
ReplyDeletePeople like to harp on this movie for its ending (perhaps a bit too Spielbergian in cheese), but I'm a huge Zwick supporter (especially with Glory being an all time favorite) and don't mind some extra cheese layered on the ending. Cruise is great here, and Watanabe just nails the role (would have walked away with that oscar most years, but Robbins was a beast in Mystic River).
ReplyDeletei REALLY enjoyed this film. just beautifully shot, beautiful story. why on earth hasn't Tm Cruise won an oscar yet?
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