Japanese Story (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Sentimental Slice of Life
Review: This movie is a cinemagraphic diary of a memorable event in the lead character's life. If you don't enjoy sharing the experiences of others, you probably won't enjoy this film. The days and events progress as they do in real life. First impressions change, bad decisions are made and overcome, the most mundane moments turn tragic. Life goes on.

Rating:
Summary: Slow contemplative film
Review: This movie starts out with a long australian outback sequence, and this barren desert makes us feel like strangers on this planet. It's no wonder that two complete strangers, a taciturn Japanese investor and a workaholic Australian geologist, develop a strong bond after having fought for their survival in this strange land. Very few words are exchanged between the characters, who come from such different cultures as Australia and Japan. Still, as Roger Ebert brilliantly noted, the characters somehow establish a "limited, but bottomless" communication, which is only possible to describe through the film medium. The only other film that featured a similar connection between its characters, who shared their feeling on a cosmic level, is last year's beautiful "Lost In Translation". However, "Japanese Story" is not just a love story, it's more like a contemplative study of our behavior, when we're faced with some very tough situations in our life; the story gives us all a glimpse of one way of dealing, or getting through those situations. Toni Collette, the female lead, is simply sensational -- one second she's raw, the other second she's numb. Her performance is not one of those overwrought performances that are casually called tour de force -- it's more subtle, realistic and ordinarily human. The supporting cast is great too. Watching Toni Collette's character exchange farewells with a Japanese widow, each one bowing to one another istead of hugging and crying their hearts out like they are supposed to(at least in a less brilliant movie), made me drop a tear myself. If you want to have a unique cinematic experience, buy, rent, borrow the video and see this movie for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Unusual and absorbing
Review: This offbeat tale of two lonely individuals who connect during a road trip through the Australian desert is bizarre yet surprisingly credible. Toni Colette is charming and completely believable as an independent, no-nonsense Australian geologist. In a refreshing twist, the actor who plays her Japanese businessman lover is the physically beautiful one of the pair, and the camera makes the most of his physical attributes. The story unfolds with subtlety and humor, yet is ultimately shocking. Without giving too much away, I can only say that there is an abrupt shift in plot and mood that occurs midway through the story, and that despite some continuity of sub-themes, this divides the film drastically into two segments. Certainly life can and does take these unexpected directions, yet the sudden transition (particularly in a story this narrow in scope) feels a touch contrived. A very satisfying and visually stunning film nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: Cliched plot rescued by crisis
Review: Though this film purports to portray the relationship between an uptight Japanese business man and his brash geologist tour guide, the brutal, gorgeous Australian outback steals the scene after scene. Even with the sound off, the delectable crimsons, ebonies and golds of the desert make viewing the movie worthwhile.

Geologist Sandy Edwards somehow draws the job of showing Tachibana Hiromitsu, son of a Japanese mining magnate, around Australia. Sandy is as loudmouthed and assertive as Hiromitsu is guarded and proper. Some of the film's visual humor involves the comparison of Sandy in midriff-revealing tops, and desert-rat boots exploring the desert with Hiro in black dress pants and button-down shirts. The pair get into assorted scrapes and arguments as they travel the desert -- in search of what, we are never sure. But while this looks like the classic cliché movie showing the pairing (and inevitable attraction) of extreme opposites, the film has a few surprises up its sleeves. The first half of the film is rather predictable, but after a crisis point, the characters find themselves on unfamiliar terrain, attempting to find their way on the shifting sands of cultural differences and decisions on how much truth is safe and proper to express. Hiro has attachments back home, and by the movie's end, we are confronted with the feelings of guilt, remorse and fidelity. We come to understand what Hiro was looking for (and found) in Australia in the first place.

Special mention goes to actress Yukiko Kamaka who expresses an enormous amount of intelligence, dignity and emotional pain with about two lines of scripted dialog.

Rating:
Summary: Romance in the 'Reef!
Review: Upon further inspection, the above caption would make for a better title, but "Australian Story" would fit the bill as well, seeing that this picture is based in Australia, and that the story centers around a carefree, middle-aged woman (Toni Collette) seeking companionship (and anything else she can get her hands on!) with a younger Japanese businessman (Gotaro Tsunashima) in the Pilbara Desert. This expansive, isolated stretch, located in the far westernmost basin of the Great Barrier Reef (in the state of Western Australia), is where much of "Japanese Story" takes place, and due to the fact that the geographical scenery takes up much of the film's space, is very much a good thing, in that it provides the viewer an up close & personal look at all the GBR & the Pilbara Desert has to offer: a landscape awash with rich, vibrant colors (including painted red sands, vibrantly green fauna, deep blue skies, with the fact that, other than (in) outer space, the desert's the only other place where no one can hear one's plaintive cries for help, let alone the loudest scream), highways which stretch for a good country mile, with the occasional kangaroo and wallaby, etc., hippity-hopping & roaming about. Other than the topographical wonders contained within, there's some first-rate dramatics to be seen and heard, many of which the film's two main stars (Toni Collette, Gotaro Tsunashima) do well to accommodate the main storyline. With a little bit of both of a 'pleasure before business, business before pleasure' scenario involved in the goings-on of this underappreciated cinematic masterpiece, "Japanese Story" is a movie which needs to be on everyone's "must-see" list (including that all-important video & DVD list). So, come on over for some Aussie style fun & adventure. There will be a couple of shrimp on the ol' barbie, just for y'all. G'day, mates!

Rating:
Summary: A breath taking alternative Australian movie
Review: Well received at Cannes, Japanese Story deals with the cultural clash of a rough tough Australian geologist and a modern metropolitan Japanese guy. They came together for business, fight for no reasons apart from being a strong women and a traditional Japanese man. They got trapped in the desert and who knows what happens next? Struggling for survival in the Australian outback needs cultural cooperation though.

Japanese Story is a very solid movie with a well plotted screenplay and the characters are well developed. It is light and heavy at the same time; it is a drama but not a melodrama. Stereotypical jokes were played tactfully both on the Australian and Japanese sides and it does ask you to think. Toni Colette once again gave a spectacular performance after her successes in her late Hollywood blockbusters.

This is truly Australian, and very down to earth Australian (hm quite a bit of cliché here) but it drives away from those same old Irish humour and deals with issues that are more person which we sometimes think definitely impersonal. The script is well written and the dialogues are well constructed. Gotaro Tsunashima played a very traditional Japanese businessman who made the trip the Australia in order to avoid the heavy obligations back home while at the same time bore the weight of his identity on his shoulders most of the time. It is not until he saw the space in the outback that he gradually opens his heart and found his directions. The supporting cast is also good as they gave enormous amount of space to the leads but at the same time performed their functions flawlessly. Matthew Dyktynski and Lynette Curran both gave a very promising performance as Toni's business partner and mum.

Japanese Story could be the next Australian movie after Lantana and Rabbit-Proof Fence that plays the tune in our hearts.

Rating:
Summary: At times like this, I say I'm not Australian
Review: Yes, Toni Collette did a good job but everything else was crap, including her character. I can see why overseas people might appreciate this more than Australians. Toni's character was like a female Steve Erwin(is that his name?). Anyway, there really really is not storyline and the 'event' is too abrupt and quite pointless really. As for the love in this movie...what love? The Japanese buisness man clearly did not love his wife and the relationship he had with Toni Collette was one of those experiments that Japanese people do with blue eyed, blond haired westerners. It's pure curiosity because Japanese people hardly bread out of their own culture unless they move coutry permanently (I'm one of those 'few'). He never actually loved her and nore would he even consider leaving his wife for her. All the movie shows in a generalised Japanese man versus a very generalised Australain woman.