_matthew_murphy.jpg?format=auto&width=720)
Takei, at 78, Boldly Goes into a Painful Family History
8 / 10
For its unusual subject matter, 'Allegiance' mirrors the structure of classic musicals, with operatic ballads and humorous diversions ('I Oughta Go' offers one fanciful bit of slapstick). As for Takei, he gets out of his own way here, to potent effect. As Ojii-chan, he helps convey the idea of 'Gaman,' a Zen Buddhist term that means 'endurance with dignity,' a guiding principle pertinent to the daily lives of the interned. In scenes that bookend 'Allegiance,' set a half-century after most of the story, Takei plays Sammy as an elderly man.
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
