BROKEN / REVERENCE. Viewed on Streaming. Translations = ten (10) stars; cinematography/ lighting/editing = seven (7) stars; score = six (6) stars; scenario = six (6) stars; subtitles = three (3) stars. Gorilla film Director Rionne McAvory (who is also credited as writer) delivers a photo-play that has the look and feel of a run-of-the-mill TV movie. Not surprising given it's crowd-source-funded Nano budget and use of amateur weekend actors (according to published interviews). The plot line is a mash-up of Yakuza and government corruption with the latter reaching down to senior police officials (this time the honest cops are at the bottom of the law-enforcement food chain!). Two freelance hit men (brothers) are hired ostensibly by a senior member of the national police to take out anti-corruption investigators. In reality, they have been hired to also eliminate the corrupt police official (to cover their tracks) by a Yakuza gang unknowingly run by their estranged father (who abandoned them as children after killing their mother). Volunteer actors turn in creditable performances with a few exceptions including actress Maya Murofushi who seriously needs to work much more at her new craft! The film is filled with poorly thought through executions such as: hit men trying to maintain a low profile while driving around town in stolen tricked out American muscle cars; sniper scopes retaining pinpoint accuracy despite being bounced around in canvas bags while attached to rifles; painted on tattoos; silencers sounding the same despite weapon type; etc. Subtitles are too small, too long, and too brief. All opening and closing credits are in English! This almost never happens in Japanese-language movies. Cinematography (semi-wide screen, color) and lighting are fine. So is editing. Score is good but obviously synthetic here and there. Worth a look if only to see all that can be achieved on screen with practically zero financial resources! WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
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