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Sonatine Reviews

1993

70
from 4170 members

In Takeshi Kitano's SONATINE, a Tokyo-based yakuza boss sends Murakawa (Kitano), one of his top men, on a peacekeeping mission to Okinawa, where two rival factions are coming to blows. Murakawa is naturally suspicious of the volatile situation and decides to lay low for a few days on a secluded beach. Slowly Murakawa and his .. Read more

Starring	'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima, Aya Kokumai
Director	'Beat' Takeshi Kitano
Genres	Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema

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Critic's review of Sonatine
View all critics' reviews (5)
- "...[A] stirring drama....Kitano has elegantly constructed an unsettling meditation on morality that is distinguished by his poetic vision..."
- 10244
- - Premiere
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
Write your own review »
Most helpful member's review of Sonatine
View all members' reviews (29)
- - 25
  - 0
  Dreamlike meditation on violence, betrayal & life
  
  "Beat" Takeshi Kitano plays a mobster coming to the end of his career; a ruthless and sadistic killer, but with sufficient insight to realise that he... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 302235
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - matt52
  - London
  - 04 Apr 2004 at 10:49
Most recent members' reviews of Sonatine
View all members' reviews (29)
- - 0
  - 0
  on the beach and all washed up
  
  I normally love Kitano but this one is dreadful. The best bits are probably on the cutting room floor because the editor certainly did a hack and slash job on ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1033523
- - papatez
  - 229 reviews
  - folkestone
  - 25 Aug 2011 at 17:39
- - 0
  - 2
  Duller than dull
  
  I had more fun watching my plants grow than I did watching this movie. I thought it poorly directed and badly acted but maybe thats just me.( Can't quite ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 964609
- - Martin77
  - 160 reviews
  - PLYMOUTH
  - 16 Feb 2011 at 12:37
- - 0
  - 0
  Characters more important than action
  
  Dont choose this if youre looking for a shoot em up. Its more about who the gangsters are as real people, the best scenes are in their leisure time. There is ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 962273
- - mttvc15
  - 2 reviews
  - Nottingham
  - 08 Feb 2011 at 23:24
- - 0
  - 0
  Sonatine
  
  Nothing outstanding here, but atmospheric and enjoyable.
  
  Report this review
- 860911
- - a customer
  - Peterborough
  - 12 Feb 2010 at 20:37
- - 0
  - 0
  Violent, but worth watching
  
  This is quite an old film but well worth watching. Japanese gangsters in the USA makes it a very interesting story line. Everything is beatifully shot and dream... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 844235
- - MadViking
  - 56 reviews
  - Dorchester
  - 02 Jan 2010 at 13:32
- - 0
  - 1
  sonatine
  
  Another masterpiece from the camera of Beat Kano....as good as Violent Cop
  
  Report this review
- 771862
- - Dude0203
  - 71 reviews
  - Wirral
  - 16 Jun 2009 at 19:40
- - 0
  - 0
  watchable
  
  these films are definately very different from your usual gangster movie just not sure that is a good thing!!
  
  Report this review
- 627729
- - kartum
  - 206 reviews
  - west lothian
  - 11 Sep 2008 at 14:01
- - 0
  - 0
  SONANITE
  
  beautiful but totally random which lets it down
  
  Report this review
- 577179
- - BigNoelfromthesouth
  - 60 reviews
  - Evesham
  - 17 Jun 2008 at 12:52
- - 0
  - 0
  Not exactly Daniel san....
  
  Looks as if to aspire to a modern day Japanese Michael Mann(Miami Vice).
  
  The acting is good and there are a few A1 chuckles along the way .
  read more »
  
  Report this review
- 532923
- - a customer
  - Belfast
  - 29 Feb 2008 at 14:44
- - 0
  - 0
  Not his best
  
  I love Kitano, but this film left me unmoved and slightly bored at times - the film is very slow-paced and a lot of the action is just larking about between the... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 403104
- - a customer
  - LONDON
  - 17 Jan 2007 at 13:43
View all members' reviews (29)

- - 25
  - 0
  Dreamlike meditation on violence, betrayal & life
  
  "Beat" Takeshi Kitano plays a mobster coming to the end of his career; a ruthless and sadistic killer, but with sufficient insight to realise that he... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 302235
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - matt52
  - London
  - 04 Apr 2004 at 10:49
- - 8
  - 4
  Can't be 'Beat'en
  
  I cannot speak highly enough about the talents of Takeshi Kitano. He has consistantly delivered some of my favorite films over the past fifteen years or so. I... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 208757
- - Merlin
  - London
  - 19 Feb 2006 at 19:42
- - 6
  - 0
  Remarkable
  
  Sonatine was Kitano’s fourth feature as a director, coming after Violent Cop, Boiling Point and A Scene At The Sea. It was the movie where I first took ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 144576
- - Dave
  - Ireland
  - 26 Aug 2005 at 14:36
- - 5
  - 0
  Don't dismiss it
  
  When I first saw Sonatine I guiltily felt myself getting bored yet subconsciously influenced heavily by the film.
  
  It is beautifully filmed with ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 312347
- - MrCarlito
  - Surrey
  - 26 Oct 2004 at 13:26
- - 4
  - 0
  The Most Extraordinary Gangster Movie I've Ever Seen
  
  Still working this through in my head: but imagine a gangster film that hardly focuses on the violent 'business' side of being in the Yakuza, but just ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 14301
- - a customer
  - London, England
  - 11 Aug 2004 at 10:44
- - 3
  - 0
  A great movie - one of Kitano's best
  
  Sonatine is a great film, with an interesting story and a good mix of violence and humour. It is a violent and bloody film, but as usual with a Takeshi Kitano ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 161598
- - DJM666
  - 274 reviews
  - Walsall
  - 15 Oct 2005 at 20:17
- - 2
  - 0
  This is a bautiful ...
  
  This is a bautiful movie. Kitano is one of the best Japanese directors. Ideal for those who are fed up with the usual boring hollywood stuff...
  
  Report this review
- 28171
- - lorenzo#2
  - KEELE
  - 16 Feb 2004 at 15:31
- - 1
  - 0
  Humourous, brutal and beautiful
  
  This is a movie which will not disappoint fans of Takeshi Kitano (I am one of them - I think he is almost the coolest man on the planet). It is also an ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 80502
- - LynneW
  - Manchester
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 17:09
- - 0
  - 0
  good movie!
  
  funny violent raw good drama...watch it!!!
  
  Report this review
- 103105
- - a customer
  - binfield,berks
  - 14 May 2005 at 10:58
- - 0
  - 0
  Killing a lot of time between Killing
  
  Maybe I've just seen too much Kitano recently or the cultural gulf is too wide, but the formula is losing it's fascination for me. The uber-inscrutable ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 251930
- - Bbrotherharry
  - 15 reviews
  - Milton Keynes
  - 06 Jun 2006 at 10:58

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Critics' reviews
- "...[A] stirring drama....Kitano has elegantly constructed an unsettling meditation on morality that is distinguished by his poetic vision..."
- 10244
- - Premiere
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
- The terrific thing about Sonatine is its freshness, its ability to surprise. Basically, it's a slightly offbeat... read more on Time Out
- 44854
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:15
- "...Kitano's spare script and cool helming style are curiously involving..."
- 10246
- - Variety
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
- "...Kitano's haunting elegy to the gangster way of life....Gorgeous..."
- 10243
- - New York Times
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59
- "...The picture's sheer verve and originality are all its own..."
- 10245
- - Sight and Sound
  - 11 Mar 2005 at 12:59

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- Sonatine
  
  In Takeshi Kitano's SONATINE, a Tokyo-based yakuza boss sends Murakawa (Kitano), one of his top men, on a peacekeeping mission to Okinawa, where two rival factions are coming to blows. Murakawa is naturally suspicious of the volatile situation and decides to lay low for a few days on a secluded ...