Review of Rising Sun (1993) by Daniel K — 02 Jan 2009

Kaufman is an interesting director and he definitely leaves his mark on this film. It has Crichton genre thriller written all over it, but it is anything but conventional. It doesn't fall neatly into any category or style simply because Kaufman doesn't.

The main issue with the film is that Snipes can't hold his own with Connery. The supporting cast is good for the most part and the story is interesting, but more importantly, it's told with flair.

The repetition of the labored breathing, the unusual performances and slightly off-kilter characters, the approach to Japanese culture, etc all serve to make it a memorable and unique piece. I always enjoy films with noirish elements as well.

However, it doeshold up particularly well to repeated viewings. Snipes is truly a horrible actor as well, which really hurts the films credibility.