The Sensei (2008)

Once in your life you come across a movie that you feel that was made just for you and no one else! That movie reaches out and grabs your soul and shakes it to its core. The Sensei is that movie for me. I have never experienced a movie that touches more chords in my life at one time than this movie. I too am an HIV+, openly gay, martial artist who struggles to attain his black belt and more importantly to find his way in not only the martial arts community but through life to find the happiness and peace the martial arts is supposed to help the practitioner attain. Even writing this review I become choked up thinking about the all that both characters have gone through with their families, communities, and themselves. I may be a bit prejudiced in favor of this movie but I believe that EVERY martial arts instructor should show this movie to their students. The martial arts action is also quite real in its movement and outcome as the main fight scene indicates. But it is not the physical battles that make this movie worth watching; it is the use of the martial arts to help the characters deal with and overcome their mental and spiritual struggles. One of the best movies ever written.

I found this movie surprisingly good,Some unexpected twists, rich story line, good acting. This is not a martial art movie, this is a good movie set in a martial art background. Its difficult to decide which is better diana lee's acting or her martial arts both are top grade. Louis Mandylor is quite touching with his role. Generally good acting from everyone. The fight scenes are the most realistic i have seen in a very long time. None of the one person beating up 20 people that has become tiresome this days in martial art movies.It also shows the rich character and morale fiber which is what the martial arts is about not just hammering people to a pulp like MMA tries to portray.

This film doesn't pull any punches when it comes to calling its characters out on their prejudices. It's title applies to many concepts beyond the simple idea of a martial art mentor as in Karate Kid. The cast is strong and clearly committed to this project that had its challenges in getting completed because if its tenacious story. I have seen this movie at film festivals in New York and Dallas and saw many men and women be entertained, amused and deeply moved to tears as I was. It is sometimes hard to watch the truth on screen and I wouldn't bring a youngster to see it though teenagers are exactly the age that does need to be exposed to this subject. I also really enjoyed the extra features on the DVD because the cast speaks so honestly about why they did this project, about what it meant to them. Their feelings about the subject seem to have inspired their acting which required many of them to play ugly characters, when the interviews reveal they are the opposite in real life.

Both my husband and I saw "The Sensei" in Seattle, WA on 10/24/08. We were touched by the emotion in the film and think the casting was excellent. We appreciated that there were parts of the story that were NOT shown and left to the viewers imagination - that doesn't happen very often anymore. We are bombarded with gore and detail - not in this film. The ending was beautifully done and could have even been a bit longer.We also enjoyed the art in the film - especially "Karen's" art. The only downside to this film was that there were several parts that were just too dark to be able to really see what was going on. Some of the outdoor night scenes were especially tough to decipher.Congratulations for a job well done. We will watch for it on DVD.