My Cultural Diet

First off, Takashi Nomura’s noir film deserves at least a star for its bad-ass title alone. As for its story about a professional hitman who successfully completes his job, but is forced to go on the run when his methods anger his employer, it’s definitely a bit of a slow burn — which gives you ample time to stare in befuddlement at Joe Shishido’s cheeks. (Frustrated with his lack of acting success, Shishido underwent cheek augmentation surgery in 1957 to give himself a more distinctive appearance. And “distinctive” is certainly a term for it.) As Shishido’s hitman tries to stay one step ahead of the gangsters seeking his head on a platter, you know the film is leading up to a final confrontation — which is, indeed, pretty satisfying and ends on an appropriately nihilistic note. A Colt Is My Passport is currently being remade by director Gareth Evans (Gangs of London, The Raid) with Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Tim Roth, and Burn Gorman, and I’m definitely interested to see how Evans — who’s no stranger to blistering action movies — updates Nomura’s film.

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