Artsy and sometimes overly pretentious filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Night On Earth, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Down By Law) makes a scenery and scenario change with his latest film, the intriguing Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai. While still retaining the slower, surrealistic pace of his previous films, Ghost stands on its own as an oddity that is a marketer’ s nightmare. Part Eastern culture philosophy, part drama, part mob story, and part urban action, pegging the film down is no easy task and that is precisely what works in its favor.

Forest Whitaker plays the titular character, a man rooted in strong Samurai beliefs and culture. He lives his life without family or creature comforts, save for his pigeons. A few years back, while being attacked on the street, he was saved by a local Mafioso who happened to be driving by the scene. From that moment, "Dog" felt it his duty to serve his new ‘master’. To fulfill his self-imposed obligation, he has been performing mob hits with aplomb and a minimal, ‘ghostlike’ presence. Complications arise when there is conflict within the ‘family’ to rid themselves of his services.

Whitaker is the perfect actor to carry this role (which Jarmusch wrote with him in mind). His whole being speaks the part and there is a quality about him that always transcends his actions, revealing his inward humanity even when he’s shooting someone in the head.

The film’s soundtrack is composed by Wu Tang Clan’s the RZA (pronounced Riz-Ah), who has provided a moody and repetitive beat to match the film’s action. While mixing these genres up might give the impression that the film walks more on the side of hardcore action and nonstop violence, being a Jarmusch film, it doesn’t. It is slow at times, methodical, and always hiding meanings in it imagery and situations. The location (filmed in Jersey City, though not necessarily set there) lends a bleak and barren feel to the film with its cruel buildings and lifeless streets.

Adding some interesting angles to the picture are Pearline, a young girl who befriends and swaps books with Dog, and Raymond, a Haitian, who speaks only French and yet, despite the language barrier, is Dog’s best friend. The conversations the two hold at Ray’s ice cream truck breathe unexpected and welcome humor into the film.

As for the Mafioso clan, these people are remnants of the long lost glory days. They are no longer the same feared and fearless leaders of their cities. They are even falling behind on the hangout club’s rent as they sit and watch cartoons all day.

This blender concoction of characters and settings gives us a unique film that works for some, but will try other’s patience. If you are familiar with Jarmusch and are not a huge fan (as I am not), you might like this film even more (as I did), because it will defy the (lowered) expectations you have from past experience watching (or trying to watch) his films.

Following the motif of hit men, a great example of how these films should be done was made with The Professional. If you are unfamiliar with this cult hit, it centers on Léon (the impeccable French actor Jean Reno - Mission Impossible, Godzilla, Ronin, La Femme Nikita), a ‘cleaner’ who is at the top of his field at taking out targets. When a soon-to-be-hit group of targets realize that something is wrong, one of them exclaims "Somebody’s coming up. Somebody serious." Damn right! Léon is definitely someone serious (and he loves his milk). And, he is someone who is alone. Enter Mathilda (Natalie Portman, in her first major role), a twelve-year-old whose family was just murdered next door to Léon. She hides in his place and from that, the friendship begins as she begs to learn his trade so that she can exact her revenge.

The relationship between the two is a sweet parent-teacher and apprentice one that gives the film its heart in an otherwise heartless situation. The tables are sometimes turned with Mathilda becoming the parental figure over Léon. As brutal as his life is, she breaks down his gruff exterior to reveal the sweetness that lies dormant beneath, just waiting to be awoken by a good soul.

Gary Oldman is perfectly cast as an evil cop who is concerned with two things: snorting drugs and listening to classical music. Oldman has always played the bad guy well, but he particularly shines in this role. Danny Aiello turns in a characteristically solid performance, as well.

Director Luc Besson (Fifth Element, La Femme Nikita-with Oldman and Reno, respectively) has made one of his best films with this one (try to forget his terrible recent version of the Joan Of Arc story, The Messenger). His Hollywood sensibility of how to make a film full of good action and his European experience with strong characters mixes well to cook up this wild concoction.