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Brother

Play trailer Poster for Brother R Released Jul 20, 2000 1h 52m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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47% Tomatometer 74 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Abandoned by the brotherhood of his yakuza clan, tough guy Yamamoto (Beat Takeshi) is forced to leave Tokyo. He goes to Los Angeles in search of Ken (Claude Maki), his younger half-brother. Alone and with a new identity, Yamamoto finds himself frustrated by foreign surroundings, especially since he doesn't speak the language.
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Brother

Brother

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Critics Consensus

There is too much hollow bloodshed in Brother, and the characters are stereotypically flat.

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Critics Reviews

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Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com The film explores in multi-layered depths how violence begets violence and how this cycle, once started, is nearly impossible to break. Rated: 4/4 Jun 19, 2003 Full Review Glenn Kenny Premiere Magazine Loud, direct, and uncompromised, Brother is raw red meat in an age of cinematic tofu. Sep 4, 2001 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle It's rougher stuff than most would expect, though not unrewarding in its own horrific way. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 14, 2001 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: C+ Jan 10, 2013 Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) A powerful statement on a violent society -- and a very uncomfortable one that is apt to alienate many viewers. Rated: 4/5 Jun 25, 2012 Full Review Bob Grimm Sacramento News & Review Rated: 4/5 Mar 29, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ido A הסרט הכי טוב שראיתי בחיי Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/12/24 Full Review Ronald Z Lots of bad acting and wierd dialogue, but this story was the fastest moving I've ever seen, and it really helped me enjoy it. I'll take this over a lot of other low budget gangster movies I've seen. And I am never tired of watching a Beat Takeshi movie. Weird editing and awkward silence is my cup of tea. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Brooding, violent and intriguing all at the same time. This was my first exposure to a Takeshi Kitano movie - and although it might not be his best, it has peaked my interest in more. There are many elements of this movie that are fascinating, but left mostly unexplored. The relationship between the "brothers" (both real and through loyalty to a "family"), the Yakuza gangster culture and code of ethics, and the warring gang factions. I found it changed little for Yamamoto to go to Los Angeles. For a brief period there... he could've tried to do something other than be a drug lord -- but whether through learned habits or a split decision he once again starts down the exact same path of a drug ring leader. This movie certainly doesn't glorify a gangster life - instead portraying a world where death is always present, and there seems to be little room for mistakes. Getting your pinkie finger cut off is a small disciplinary measure for mistakes... and the stakes go up quickly. Stark. Violent. Sad. But interesting. Worth watching, and then looking for more from this talented director and fascinating leading men. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member I can never understand why critics want depth of story telling and character development in gangster films. Why do we need to paint a picture of drug dealing murderers as conflicted men on trying to find the proper path? Brother is one of the few gangster films that doesn't try to create a moral high ground for killers to stand on, and that's what makes it great. THEY KNEW HOW THIS HAD TO END! Because the had the samurai spirit they faced their end like men. Too many people don't understand samurai spirit though and will never understand... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie was funny and had a decent body count. What more can one ask for? Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Kitano's flair for visuals and violence comes through neatly in this massively underrated gem. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Brother

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Abandoned by the brotherhood of his yakuza clan, tough guy Yamamoto (Beat Takeshi) is forced to leave Tokyo. He goes to Los Angeles in search of Ken (Claude Maki), his younger half-brother. Alone and with a new identity, Yamamoto finds himself frustrated by foreign surroundings, especially since he doesn't speak the language.
Director
Takeshi Kitano
Producer
Masayuki Mori, Jeremy Thomas
Screenwriter
Takeshi Kitano
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Recorded Pictures Company
Rating
R (Language|Brief Nudity|Pervasive Strong Language)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 20, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 7, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$447.8K
Runtime
1h 52m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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