modern day yakuza? Besides Miike's stuff (DEAD OR ALIVE 1-2, DEADLY OUTLAW REEKAH, FUDOH, YAKUZA DEMON), Aoyanam's stuff (like 2 Punks, which is
great!), and Kitano's (OUTRAGE... you've already see SONATINE/HANABI/BOILING POINT/VIOLENT COP, probably) stuff? Check out:
GONIN is one of my favorite films of all time, it's about 7 dudes ripping off the yakuza.
Past 10 years.. so that excludes, like, Yakuza Papers... if you haven't seen those 5 films, BATTLES WITH HONOR AND HUMANITY.. those are essential, as is any Nikkatsu stuff you can find. Criterion released NIKKATSU NOIR, a great 5-movie set you can get off of amazon for like $5. RUSTY KNIFE and TAKE AIM AT THE POLICE VAN is in it.
Sorry, gotta mention one more old film...
Goddamn, I LOVE Pale Flower (also, a big inspiration on Scorsese, if that matters). It's more "noir" than yakuza, though it is a yakuza film, and great at that.
Again, I know you know BRANDED TO KILL and shit... but yeah.