WOW
Daryll from Limerick, 09 Sep 2008
'Hana-bi' is one of the most impressive movies I've seen in the last ten years. Writer/director/star Beat Takeshi (Takeshi Kitano) is best known in Japan as a comedian and TV personality, so this movie is even more astonishing to outsiders like myself. Takeshi has a very laconic and charismatic screen presence, and is no slouch as a director either. It's difficult to describe the feel of this movie, and its poetic use of violence.
Firewords
Philip from Dublin, 25 Jul 2010
A must for fans of Kitano - this is a strange fusion of tough guy action movie and sensitive art film - about a cop pursuing some sort of redemption at the end of his career as he travels around with his sick wife. As usual with Kitano, nothing is straightforward, but its fascinating and very moving in the end.
Boring and beautiful at times
Ian from Wexford, 18 Nov 2010
Boring and at times beautiful. But mostly boring. quite boring actually.