The Last Samurai - Dir. Edward Zwick - 2003 This historical action-epic stars Tom Cruise as Captain Nathan Algren, a 19th century alcoholic war veteran who is hired to help train Japan's army in defense of a growing samurai rebellion during a time of western expansion and civil unrest in the country. When Nathan becomes captured by the rebels, his time in captivity is spent befriending their leader Katsumuto (Ken Watanabe) and becoming enamored by the samurai way of life - possibly enough to join them in their fight to preserve the culture of old Japan. Austin eagerly anticipated doing this one for years, as it's one of his beloved childhood films. Weirdly enough, Alex had never even heard of it until the two of us became friends. While it hasn't exactly put a huge stamp on popular culture in the twenty years since its release, we both find that there's enough interesting stuff going on here to somewhat discredit its "okay" critical reception. Between its standout performances, massive production design and Hans Zimmer's orchestral score, The Last Samurai outperforms its middling reputation in a lot of aspects that matter. But of course, the "white savior" thing is constantly hovering in the foreground of the whole film..and believe me, we debate whether or not it's guilty of this thoroughly. We're drinking Black Cherry Bourbon Barrel Wild Tea by Wild Ohio Brewing on this episode.