Umi Isubame Joe No Kiseki
The style of this undistinguished action film follows a 1940s Sam Spade mode that is intriguing, but the story of Joe (Saburo Tokito) -- a petty criminal running from the big guns because he killed a mob boss -- is too clichéd and poorly acted to go any deeper than surface events. After making it to the Philippines, Joe has several misadventures in a world gone bad as he comes across policemen on the dole, wildly unvirtuous women, and thieves who could beat an Olympic gold medalist in the 100-meter sprint -- all cardboard stereotypes.
Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Yoshio Harada, Miwako Fujitani, Kentaro Shimizu