Release Date:
Friday, March 10, 2000
Dont let the title fool you. Ghost Dog is not an anime film with robot schoolgirlsnot that theres anything wrong with that!and it isnt Keanu Reeves new band. Above all, its definitely not an action film. Sure, there are guns, violent deaths, and shady villains. But if youre looking for a Stallone-style shoot-em-up, youll be disappointed. This movie takes its time, its character-driven, and there are no explosions. But wait! What it does deliver is unexpected and rewarding.
Forest Whitaker plays a hit man and self-proclaimed samurai in the service of a mafia soldier (an intelligent turn by newcomer John Tormey). When Whitaker gets caught in the middle of a double-cross involving the dons tempting daughter, he finds himself in a fight for his lifeand, more importantly, his honor. Director Jim Jarmusch (hipster helmsman of Dead Man and Night on Earth) starts out poking fun at mob movie clichés (did the Corleone family have to worry their social clubs rent payments?), but ends up saying something powerful about personal ethics in a hardened world. Whitakers stoic lead performance is mesmerizing, and the score, by Wu-Tang Clansman RZA, finally finds an appropriate context for his bands urban ninja posturing. With Ghost Dog, fans of Jarmuschs deadpan humor and oddball characters will find him true to form, but gangster film aficionados should cope with the slow pace, enjoy the cool gunplay, and stick with this smart take on the genre.
Forest Whitaker plays a hit man and self-proclaimed samurai in the service of a mafia soldier (an intelligent turn by newcomer John Tormey). When Whitaker gets caught in the middle of a double-cross involving the dons tempting daughter, he finds himself in a fight for his lifeand, more importantly, his honor. Director Jim Jarmusch (hipster helmsman of Dead Man and Night on Earth) starts out poking fun at mob movie clichés (did the Corleone family have to worry their social clubs rent payments?), but ends up saying something powerful about personal ethics in a hardened world. Whitakers stoic lead performance is mesmerizing, and the score, by Wu-Tang Clansman RZA, finally finds an appropriate context for his bands urban ninja posturing. With Ghost Dog, fans of Jarmuschs deadpan humor and oddball characters will find him true to form, but gangster film aficionados should cope with the slow pace, enjoy the cool gunplay, and stick with this smart take on the genre.