It's a stylish neo-noir with a light touch and a sense of humor.

This film, starring Hiroyuki Sanada and Michelle Reis (Fallen Angels, Kiddo in Swordsman II, etc.), was almost perfect.  I'd describe it as kinder, gentler neo-noir.  I know, I know, it's not really a noir if there are nice surprises.  Everyone's supposed to get killed in a noir.  I can sympathize with that--I like a good hard-boiled full-on noirer-than-noir noir myself (like the awesome Sleepless Town, another Japanese film, starring Takeshi Kaneshiro--worth a look if you haven't seen it already).  But Round About Midnight had all the noir elements--a dame causing the hero trouble, crooked cops, jazz clubs, chases through town.  It just didn't take place in the kind of world where everything always go wrong, and as a result the movie has a light touch and a sense of humor throughout that made it fun for the whole family (I don't really have a family, but you get my drift).  But that's not to say it's fluff--it's really good.  My girlfriend liked it, too, although she thought it was "sappy" in parts (though she may just be grumpy because I've made her watch too many Asian movies over the last couple of days).  My one problem:  I wanted Michelle Reis to change shoes SO badly.  She spends half of the movie running, and she's wearing these impossible strappy little shoes WITH HEELS!  It hurt just watching her. And it's not like those were a stunt double's feet!  The poor woman.  Anyway, the film is worth the price of admission just to see how many ways they thought of to use a trumpet as a weapon.  The main character, you see, is a jazz trumpet player, and throughout the whole film he wants to get back to his club by midnight to play his second set.  So he's carrying his trumpet in one hand during THE ENTIRE FILM, except for one moment near the end when he gets in a fistfight and Michelle Reis picks it up.  But no more about that, because that's the end, and I don't want to give it away...

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

Koji, a jazz musician, witnesses a murder. Dodging assassins, he encounters Linda as they desperately race against time to reach his club before midnight, all while evading deadly hit-men and law enforcement to clear their names.

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Hiroyuki Sanada in Round About Midnight (1999)

Round About Midnight

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