Review: This is one of the most unique and charming movies ever made, and one which will unfortunately pass many people by. Essentially it's a Western, but combines Asian cinematic themes of betrayal, loyalty and honor with 50's pastiche and anime style violence. Over the duration of the film, it becomes an epic romance, then a spaghetti western, then a Bollywood film, then a comic book, then a CG gore-fest shoot-out, then back to an epic romance, followed by a frantic rush to watch the whole thing a second time round in case you missed something.

In short, Tears of the Black Tiger is a film that you should cherish, because such coherent insanity only comes along once in a while.

Visually, the film is shot in a mildly psychedelic color scheme reminiscent of "South Pacific," with neon pinks and greens glaring out of the screen. It almost looks as if somebody has photo-copied a comic book and then colored it in with those highlighter pens that smell nice. The fumes from these pens must have got into the brains of the makers, because the end result is at times pure madness. In some scenes, computer generated bullets explode heads. In others, the actors deliver their dialogue in front of painted backdrops, and we even get scenes lifted straight from a number of 50's and 60's classics. The Director must have some kind of cinematic Tourettes syndrome, producing involuntary spasms of technique, which are too frequent to number, meaning that it also stands up to repeated viewing.

The use of music reflects this too, borrowing, or sometimes merely reminding us of classic movie themes from a number of cinematic sources. Even during tense dialogue, the music simmers gently, and then swells in a style not heard of since the 50's.

The story itself is pure class. Structured with flashbacks to Dum and Rumpoey's childhood, and then leaping forward to the Cowboy showdowns and sieges, the film is classically structured and would even appeal to your grand-parents due to its traditional outlook. It's essentially an epic classic viewed through spectacles that make everything look mental. Behind this curtain of crazy, lurks an expertly crafted and well structured tale, with plot points and visual cues weaving effortlessly in and out of the narrative.

Another notable achievement is the casting. Dum is a convincing '60s heartthrob, with a square jaw and a body that makes me want to join the gym, but first let me finish this pie. Mehesuan, Dum's partner in crime, brings a camp villainy to the role. He sports the best penciled in moustache and kung fu bad guy laugh money can buy, and provides a good counter-point to Dum's characterization, which is played straight. Rumpoey is also excellent, bringing visions of countless leading ladies from back in the day of Hollywood. Each and every character has been cast and performed to heighten the nostalgic feeling of the film.

There is something here for everyone. While, as usual, the attitudes some hold towards "foreign films" may limit its family appeal, this movie could easily be enjoyed by the whole family, despite its occasional comic book violence and 18 certificate (UK). Personally, I think that the violence is so stylized and abstract that I would only have reservations about showing it to a kid under about 13 or 14 years old. Apart from a few gloriously over-the-top scenes, there is little here that did not appear in the classic cowboy movies.