Today’s quick review: The Outsider. After Nick (Jared Leto), an American expat, saves the life of Kiyoshi (Tadanobu Asano) in a Japanese prison, the yakuza member repays the favor by inviting Nick into the Shiromatsu crime family. There Nick puts his knack for violence to good use and gains the favor of Akihiro (Min Tanaka), the aging head of the family. But Nick’s status as a foreigner earns him the ire of Orochi (Kippei Shiina), Akihiro’s lieutenant.
The Outsider is a violent crime drama set in Osaka in the 1950s. Jared Leto stars as Nick Lowell, a quiet American with a checkered past who finds a new home within the brotherhood of the yakuza. The film follows Nick’s induction into the Shiromatsu family, his romance with Kiyoshi’s sister Miyu (Shioli Kutsuna), and the family’s turf war with the upstart Seizu family from Kobe. The Outsider is a gritty peek at the criminal underworld of postwar Japan.
Unfortunately, The Outsider lacks the vision found in the best crime movies. Once Nick has settled into his new life, the plot begins to wander. The plot threads The Outsider spends its time on are all reasonable inclusions: Nick’s relationship with Kiyoshi, his secret romance with Miyu, and the war with the Seizu. But the movie never picks one to serve as the focus, and by the time it settles on the Seizu, there’s little time left before the finale.
Nick Lowell also makes for an unsympathetic protagonist. Jared Leto does a fine job of portraying Nick as an impassive criminal with only scant traces of conscience, but such a distant, remorseless character makes it hard for the audience to invest in him. The moments when Nick seems human are all too rare, and they aren’t enough to sell the film’s themes of loyalty and brotherhood. The Outsider has the right setup for emotional drama but the wrong hero.
Still, The Outsider’s craftsmanship is enough to make it a decent watch. Individual scenes tend to be well-crafted, the supporting cast all perform their roles well, and hte setting of postwar Japan helps set the movie apart from the usual American crime drama. The Outsider has almost all of the elements of a good crime drama, and many viewers will find it to be one. But those hoping for a likable protagonist or a satisfying payoff may be disappointed.
For a classic crime drama that handles similar material with more weight, try Goodfellas. For a crime drama with more heart, try Donnie Brasco. For a gory revenge drama with a similarly impassive protagonist, try Only God Forgives.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for solid craftsmanship hurt by an unfocused plot and an unsympathetic protagonist.