The Last Samurai

Tom Cruise stars in this action war adventure as an American war hero who has fought the American Indians in his home land.  He is asked to serve in the civil war of Japan.  He gets captured by the Samurai and is kept in their society.  He can not escape due to the fierce winter.  He begins to learn Japanese and embraces their culture.  When he is released, both sides of the civil war have been revealed and he must decide which side to take.  He chooses the Samurai.

Tom Cruise fits the perfect American captain, Nathan Algren.  Billy Conolly is present at the beginning, he dies in the first action encounter which does the film good as he is incredibly annoying.  Timothy Spall is casted too.  Ken Watanabe is the Samurai leader, Katsumoto.  He excels his role and makes the Samurai village atmospheric.

The story only really starts when he gets captured.  There is obviously fighting and dueling, which was necessary.  It was done originally and very you felt like you were watching it in the village.  Slow motion effects and atmospheric brilliance from Tom Cruise.

Even though it is biased towards the samurai, you are engrossed and you feel for Ken Wantanabe.  Needed the beginning chopped and the war at the end left out or made shorter, could have been an all time favourite.  The ending is beautiful.

IMDB The Last Samurai

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Rating: 6.9/10

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Valkyrie

Tom Cruise is a colonel who lost his right hand, some fingers and an eye in Tunisia, who realises that you can not serve Germany and the Führer.  Every Nazi soldier in World War two swore an oath to the Führer for loyalty and leadership of Nazi Germany.  In a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler, based upon real events Tom Cruise and the team devise a plan where upon success, operation Valkyrie is announced and the state security takes control in Berlin to agree a truce with the allies.  If they fail, their families and loved ones will be found too.

The film kept you on the edge as you were worried for the success and safety of the team.  The plan is clever.  Eddie Izzard helps the team in the operation as the inside man.  The beginning is engaging and the pace is never too slow.  Full of A list actors who don’t adopt German accents!

IMDB Valkyrie

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Rating: 8.1/10

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Blood Diamond

You will never feel the same about diamonds again!  It is 1999, it’s the civil war in Sierra Leone in Africa.  Solomon Vandy is the award winning actor Dijmon Honsou who is in slavery sieving diamonds, finds a priceless pink blood diamond and buries it. When  DiCaprio as Danny Archer, the smuggler, discovers the African who hides it, they go searching for it which is near enough impossible in the political environment but this priceless diamond could get Archer out of the troubled continent and bring Solomon’s family back together.  DiCaprio finds Jennifer Connolly a journalist and realises he needs her help.

While very sad and sometimes upsetting, the movie has many emotional swings right from the start as the African father loses his family and his son to a tribal army.  DiCaprio is excellent, with a believable South African accent. The characters had depth and the film was steeped in the reality of history i.e. real events which DiCaprio certainly makes you watch on the edge of your seat.

IMDB Blood Diamond

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Rating: 8.1/10

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Letters from Iwo Jima

An unconventional perspective from the Japanese side with sub-titles in English.  Directed by Clint Eastwood, the Japanese hold out against the might of the American army on a small volcanic island called Iwo Jima. This island is all that stands between America and Japan  The Japanese are digging in ready for the American invasion, they face limited food, water and ammunition and worse. Ken Watanabe (you may recognize him from The last Samurai) stars in this and delivers his usual amazing performance as the Japanese General.  A 40 day epic battle ensues and the story focuses on Saigo a young recruit who has never seen action.  Prejudice, loyalty and a struggle for survival. Powerful, historically accurate and atmospheric with good sound track. Pulls at your heart strings.

IMDB link: Letters from Iwo Jima

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Rating 8.0/10

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