In Full Bloom

I was a bit worried about watching this movie when I saw it was in Japanese/English, and I was right about that. Its about 50/50 Japanese/English. After searching and not finding any subs, I decided to give it a go anyhow. The movie is well made, with lots of images from Japanese nature. The acting looks good too, at least not too weird. The japanese dialogue is really hard to understand without subs but thats expected I guess. The movie gave me "flashbacks" to Bruce Lee and Rocky movies, I would not be surprised if the writers have watched all of those films. Tyler Wood and Yusuke Ogasawara are doing a nice job as the main caracters in the movie, and its their first movie for both of them. I would guess not their last :) The directors, Reza Ghassemi and Adam VillaSenor (they are also the writers) are doing a nice job putting the movie together. Part of the movie are in black/white, but it fits the movie good and helps make the "mafia" effect stronger.

I believe this movie could been a strong 8 or maybe even a 9 in my rating, but because its impossible to understand everything without subs, I have to set it as low as 7.

I'am surprise about the reviews and the rate I thought its sth like undisputed because of the rate but unfortunately i just wasted my time in this alot of bla bla bla its so boring it didn't get my attention at all I don't know where is the drama in this they was just acting good but for what, if u wanna skip the most of the movie and get direct to the 1 fight at the end you can do but i bet you will not be sympathetic and it is so predictable

Is this a perfect movie? No. Really really no. HOWEVER, it is one of the most original and unique films I've seen in years. There are certain aspects that just do not work. Some of the scenes with the American Boxer can feel repetitive. But other than that, this is a beautiful film, from two first time directors. And most the of the cast are first timers. It's really amazing. The cinematography really blew me away. I can watch the last 30 mins of the film on repeat. I'm really curious what this team makes next. Also the Japan Boxer is a BEAST!

I have been tracking this film since it came out, as the synopsis made it seem like one I'd enjoy. It has been a frustrating wait (for any subtitles anywhere) that I've all but given up on at this point, but what I can't understand is how anyone is even reviewing this movie without being fluent in Japanese. I see a couple that mention it, but I am shocked at how many actually watched it & reviewed it, good or bad, with so much of the dialog totally missed without the subtitles. I mean, you can't even rent it on Amazon with them..they just don't exist! I've never come across anything like this.... I'm someone who uses subtitles for everything, just because so many shows/movies these days include mumbling actors, poorly recorded audio tracks, and my TV speakers are crap... but I've never been unable to find any subtitles at all, even for the most obscure titles.

2019 has been a great year for debut films. Directors, Adam VillaSenor and Reza Ghassemi, have created such an intriguing world in their debut film. I don't think I've seen a movie like this one. It is equally poetic and thrilling. The real stand out aspect for this movie is the cinematography and shots. Really well done and creative. It is somewhat slow in certain spots which is why Im giving it a 9 rather than a 10. But I will give the parts a pass because of how great the film is overall. Also, the boxing sequences at the end of the film are truly amazing. Don't think Ive seen it done like that before. I will recommend to anyone who likes slow burn and visually interesting type of films.