This film is the product of Jim Jarmusch, the
guy who made "Dead Man". Forest Whitaker is Ghost Dog:
a heavy-set loner who fancies himself a Samurai warrior. This
film sucessfully blends ancient Japanese wisdom, East Coast Italian
mobsters and hip hop culture. Actually, the cultures don't blend
so much as collide.
Hit man marked for death by employer. It sounds very "Chuck Norris", but this film is more than just a smash, bang, shoot-'em-up gangster movie. Along the way, the film takes a lot of time to stop and smell the roses. It establishes an exceptionally convincing inner-city ambience, and a nice handfull of characters get to blossom. Each one of the mobsters are unique and quirky and animated, sometimes even funny. Ghost Dog has a couple of friends in a young school girl and a Haitian ice cream salesman who speaks only French. They get some quality screen time and give the film some interesting perspective.
You've never seen an action hero quite like Forest Whitaker before. His tight focus on the Samurai way allows him to take on whole droves of gun-wielding wise guys with the same calmness I might apply towards doing the dishes. This film reminds me a bit of "The Professional" bit it's more subtle.
Good movie. Do see it, if you can.