The Last Circus (2010)

Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Writer: Álex de la Iglesia
Stars: Carlos Areces, Antonio de la Torre and Carolina Bang
Rating: 8/10

I was told by a good friend that I had to see The Last Circus. I didn’t ask why, I just did as I was told and that person was right, I really enjoyed this film. I know very little about the cast and crew of The Last Circus and I can honestly say after having seen this movie I want more. Álex de la Iglesia did a great job both writing and directing The Last Circus. He used a very serious time period from Spain’s history and used those underlying tones of despair and unrest to back a very unique love triangle filled with tragedy, passion and obsession.

Circa 1937, Spain is in the midst of a civil war. While a circus is in town the military decides to draft members of the circus and audience to help in the local battle. As the battle wages on a father and son become separated and the son then decides he will exact his revenge in any way possible. 25 years later that boy is now a man and with revenge still on his mind decides to become the “sad” clown. On his first assignment as a clown he falls madly in love with the woman who is in a relationship with his boss. When all three members become aware of the love triangle it’s safe to say that all hell breaks loose.

The Last Circus is a fun watch that’s just bizarre enough to keep the very serious love story interesting, fresh and unique. With elements of drama, action, satire and tragedy The Last Circus will keep you on your toes. I remained involved and curious to see what is going to happen next throughout the entire film. The only true way for me to describe this movie in my own words would be to say The Last Circus is a strange movie, but in a very good way.

13 Assassins (2010)

Director: Takashi Miike
Writers: Kaneo Ikegami (based on a screenplay by), Daisuke Tengan (screenplay)
Stars: Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada and Yûsuke Iseya
Rating: 9/10


13 Assassins is a period piece by Takashi Miike. Possibly best known for such classics as Ichi the Killer, Audition, and the Dead or Alive series. Miike is a prolific director doing as many as four movies a year. With this release I believe he really has stepped up his game.

13 Assassins is the story of a samurai named Shinzaemon who is tasked with killing a lord that is unjust. Making this task even more difficult is that this lord is the brother of the shogun making him untouchable by conventional means. Shinzaemon assembles a group of samurai from his friends and family. They run from his gambler nephew Shinrokuro to the wandering ronin Hirayama and his young pupil. Shinzaemon also runs into a rival from his past in Hanbei who will protect the lord at any cost. The 13 set a trap for the lord and his group of 70 bodyguards and await their arrival.

Everything about this movie can be traced to the great samurai movies of the 50's and 60's and even the 70's. Buckets of blood are shed with no CGI blood to be found. There are some rather crude scenes with CGI but Miike can be forgiven for delivering such an epic film. The film touches on some lines found in the samurai text the Hagakure and raises the question of where the samurai should place their loyalty. Overall a great film for fans of epic movies with tons of action.