Rating: PG
Duration: 102 minutes
Now out on DVD
Some info:
1) Wiki
2) IMDB Profile
3) MovieMistakes Profile
4) Official Site (English)
Back in 2003, I wasn’t that much into movies yet so I didn’t watch this half a decade ago even though I vaguely recall that the reviews of this is rather positive. It turned out that this movie won quite a few awards in the various major film award ceremonies in the English showbiz scene.
Now that I’ve got the chance, why not watch it and see what’s so special about it. After watching, I realise this movie isn’t the usual type that I would watch since it’s more of underlying character struggles and feelings on top of the face-value. So yea, it was, to me, kinda edging on a bit of those “arty” type, but of course it’s still kinda different from the impression I get from those.
Of course, the most obvious would be how the 2 main leads are totally clueless in the land of the rising sun, not knowing Japanese and all. The cultural differences don’t seem to help them either. Basically both of them are having problems adapting to life in Japan even though it’s only supposed to be a temporary stay. Besides that, both of them are actually facing their own downs with their spouses and are in some ways troubled by all these things summed up. Living in the same hotel (not room mind you), they finally met and developed a unique friendship coupled with a bit of romance due to the similarities of circumstances, though their exact relationship is rather ambiguous and not explicitly shown.
For the most part, it will be rather boring to those looking for a lovey-dovey love story cos it’s not exactly a love story anyway. Things are also not all that clearly articulated as with most movies do. Even the ending is kinda open-ended. The 2 of them are definitely attracted to each other, but how will their relationship develop (if at all) after their separation from each other in Japan. To be honest, this kind of endings isn’t exactly the kind I like very much. Lol, I prefer a more definite and structured ending.
Overall, it’s quite a nice movie in its own right, though it somewhat different from many other commercial movies. However, it’s probably not all that enjoyable and suitable for many people I know. Heh. My take: 6/10
Recent Comments