The Outsider

Just because a movie has a snails pace, does not mean it can not be brutal and violent in spades. We got one of those cases right here. It's about honor and loyalty. A major part of the movie is in Japanese (with subtitles of course), but our main character is an english speaking one. Which is the old "stranger comes into town" kind of thing.

In this case his invasion into this culture that most westerners may not be that aware of, is really the driving force. He does learn fast, but he is also human, so he does have some urges and he has feelings too (even if sometimes you may think otherwise). Brutal, honest and without really taking compromises, this may feel too long for some, but will be a masterpiece for others.

Reminds me of the Yakuza (1974) with Robert Mitchum combined with Black Rain!

Stylish and dark beyond darkness; the brutality is almost clinical in its precision and execution just like the movie.

Critics - What do they know - there seems to be a difference between what critics say and the reality of what we all like and what is genuinely good!

This was a good film!

Well this movie clearly deserves a higher rating then it actually gets for now. If you like mob/gangster movies then you will definitely like this one. At least I did. It all looks very stylish, but behind the style there is some hardcore violence, something you can only see in Mafia movies where the honor of the clan comes before everything. The Outsider tells the story of a caucasian former GI soldier that gets recruited into the Yakuza. Jared Leto played the perfect role, as the calm but coldhearted newbie. The rest of the cast, are all Japanese, and they all agve this movie a great touch. The story is well writen, never a dull moment, and add on that an excellent soundtrack that brings you in that special gangster mood. One of the better Japanese movies I ever saw if you ask my opinion.

The critics are once again wrong. This is a good yakuza movie although there are better movies but I enjoyed this movie. It is slow going, building up characters. The climax and ending are good. Jared Leto is great in this movie, playing the silent but dangerous American who gets involved with the Yakuza. Leto's character is mysterious, maybe too mysterious. It would have been nice to understand his motivation and background. There is a small caveat to his former life but it is so small that it does not answer any questions except that's Leto's character is brutal. I didn't think this was the white savior type of movie like The Last Samurai. Please watch and support movies like this, movies that take a chance.

The story is a fairly by the numbers mafia drama in terms of structure but,it is very well executed. The sense of high stakes is always present trough the whole film, every action has a consequence. As the script has no unnecessary filler plots, it keeps the story moving at a prefect pace.

The main themes of the movie are brotherhood and revenge, and even if the characters ar not too deep, you get to know them enough to care for them in dangerous situations and you feel some empathy for the main character in his struggle ro fit into a violent world that does not treat him as an equal Nick is not a hero or a good person at all but he shows enough principles for the audience to understand his perspective.

Is this movie unique? Not at all but it more than a time waster that deserves your attention.