Fresh
Directing with an old-fashioned tenderness toward his unassuming star, Ken Ochiai conjures a swan song to a waning art form and those who practice it.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Overview
Fewer samurai films are being made, and the Uzumasa studio has fallen on hard times. One day, veteran "kirareyaku" (whose job it is to be felled with a sword by a film's star) actor Kamiyama is tasked with teaching sword action techniques to fledgling actress Satsuki. A few years later, the now-retired Kamiyama is visited by Satsuki, who has become a popular star.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Fresh
A cri de coeur on the samurai flicks of a bygone era, "Uzumasa Limelight" unfolds understatedly and movingly like something from Clint Eastwood at the top of his game.
Martin Tsai, Los Angeles Times
Fresh
None of this goes down with any real verve, though Kamiyama's wrinkled face is a small marvel of expressivity.
Michael Nordine, L.A. Weekly
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