Japanese Story (2003) Reviews

• Outstanding and Beautiful - Australian Haiku

  Adetunji2004-12-10

  This is, apparently, a love it or hate it movie. As is the case with such films those on one side have a hard time understanding the view of the opposite. I am fully in that camp, I thought this film was stark and beautiful--as moving in its silence and mundane moments as it was illuminating. For those who say there is no plot, well I clearly saw a different film, there is more story and intention in simple small details as there are in a whole series of other films. Toni Collette was amazing and Gotaro Tsunashima was perfect, capturing the emotional compression and exploration of his character with clarity and skill. In a film full of striking absolutely believable and full moments -- the furtive exploratory glances as the two leads drive through the desert, and Toni's fascination with Gotaro's nearly hairless arms say so much about the characters', their history, their assumptions, their prejudices. Incredibly moving, shattering emotionally, and ultimately deeply profound. A haiku-like meditation on living and sharing--I loved it.

• Lunar landscape

  jotix1002005-02-10

  "Japanese Story" is one of the saddest films in recent memory. This film came and went, practically unnoticed, despite favorable reviews in the local media. When we tried to see it, it had already disappeared from the screens in the city. We recently caught up with it thanks to a month long tribute to Toni Collette by one of the cable channels. It was worth the wait, although, this film, directed by Sue Brooks with a screen play by Alison Tilson, is not for everyone. For all practical purposes "Japanese Story" could have been set on the moon. The Pilbara desert in Australia has been captured by the glorious cinematography of Ian Baker to create a surreal atmosphere in the development of the story. Also, the oriental themed background music by Elizabeth Drake gives the film a Japanese flavor that is never distracting; the music score sets the tone for the story. This is a story of contrasts of cultures. Sandy Edwards, the geologist that is sent to accompany the visiting Japanese son of a wealthy Japanese industrialist, is reluctant to serve as tour guide. The areas this visiting man wants to see are remote and isolated; it might have been in the moon, for all it matters, as we don't see a soul anywhere. Basically, the story offers different viewpoints on the visiting Tachibana Hiromitsu. The Japanese are seen as the people that have come to own a great deal of Australia. Some others will never forget the WWII days, when Japan was the enemy. For his part, Tochibana is in awe of a land that is so vast and so underpopulated, in sharp contrast with the density of his home land. This mismatched couple begins a journey that will bring them closer together, overcoming the initial dislikes. In the process, they both will discover things about the other person in a way that will make them come to like one another in more ways than expected. An ironic twist, about two thirds into the movie, comes unexpectedly. It jolts us from the idyllic friendship and romance we see Tachibana and Sue develop into a state of complete disbelief. How could this have happened? It's a way for life interfering in a doomed relationship that wasn't meant to be. The acting is superb. The charismatic Toni Collette does one of her best work in this movie. Ms. Collette is totally credible as this geologist that, after experiencing bliss, must face a reality she didn't bargain for. Gotaro Tsunashima, is perfect in his role. Mr. Tsunashima is at times puzzling, as well as likable, in his take of Tachibana, the man who loses his heart to the magnificent landscape and to Sue for liberating him from a rigid life dictated by honor and responsibilities. While "Japanese Story" is not for everyone, it's worth a look because of the two stars and the magnificence of the Australian landscape.

• unexpected plot twists make movie work

  Buddy-512004-07-05

  The best thing about `Japanese Story,' an Australian film directed by Sue Brooks and set almost entirely in the Outback, is its unpredictability. Just as you begin to think that the story, written by Alison Tilson, is headed in one particular direction, it does an amazing about-face and leads us down an entirely different, utterly unexpected narrative path. The movie starts off as a fairly standard romantic comedy, involving two strangers who don't like each other very much yet who are forced to spend an inordinate amount of time together. Sandy is a geologist whose company, against her will and better judgment, has asked her to escort an important Japanese businessman through the wilds of the Australian desert on a sightseeing tour. The film even begins to seem a bit like a landlocked `Swept Away' for awhile, as these two headstrong people – he a Japanese traditionalist with male chauvinistic tendencies and she a no-nonsense, freethinking, independent woman (but both filled with doubts and insecurities beneath the surface) – find themselves stranded in a hostile and remote environment, fighting for survival. But then the first of the film's numerous plot reversals kicks in and we find ourselves in an entirely different situation altogether. I certainly don't want to spoil anyone's experience of this film by revealing just what those plot twists are, so I will merely state that the film, in the second half, becomes a fairly profound meditation on the precarious nature of life and the almost lightning-paced speed with which tragedy can intervene to bring our worlds crashing down around us. Toni Collette is heartbreaking as the feisty yet warmhearted Sandy and Gotaro Tsunashima is both tender and stoic as the man from an exotic culture with whom she eventually falls in love. That, of course, is the predictable part. But if you think you know where this story is going, you will be pleasantly surprised at how wrong you will be.

• The less you know about this film, the better.

  =G=2004-05-12

  It would be impossible to say anything substantially meaningful about "Japanese Story" without spoiling the film for those who have not seen it. Suffice it to say, it's set in Australia and works with a an Aussie woman (Colette) and a Japanese man (Hiromitsu) to build slowly to an emotionally potent situation - a series of moments - and then lingers in the denouement allowing the audience to savor the emotions evoked. For some, those feelings may be nil. For others they may be powerful and overwhelming. Personally, I wept. Objectively, the film, about a woman by women, is well crafted and Colette's performance is outstanding. The film deserves high marks in all aspects from cinematography to music to casting, etc. However, when the closing credits roll, your experience will have been as unique as yourself. And whatever that experience is, it will be less if you know the outcome in advance. (B+)

• Story for both of us

  Philby-32003-10-11

  This is as much an Australian story as a Japanese one. We are not about to turn Japanese, but our close economic relationship over the last 50 years has to some extent transcended the cultural gap that divides us, and the bitterness of World War 2. On one level, this is a very personal story of two people from different cultures who become closer than they might have imagined. On another level it examines two very different cultures tied together by economic necessity. These themes are played out in a truly awe- inspiring ancient landscape, which, as others have remarked, is a character on its own. I've not been to the Pilbara, but I've been to places like it elsewhere in Australia, and they tend to have the effect of reminding you of the fragility of your existence. The Aborigines (represented here by only a gas station attendant) regarded themselves as belonging to the land and here you can see why. It's not clear what Tachibana Hiromitsu, the rich businessman's son, is looking for in the desert, but he certainly feels its power. Just why Sandy the tough female geologist comes to harbour tender feelings towards him is not evident either; perhaps it's the mothering instinct at work- he's not an adaptable kind of guy and perhaps she senses his vulnerability. Apart from the firm refusal to turn this film into a romantic comedy, despite some `When Harry Met Sally' moments, there are several other things going for it. First there is Toni Collette's entirely convincing performance which overcomes some weaknesses in the storyline (and improbabilities in her character). She has a lot of ground to cover, from boredom to hilarity, from dislike to intimacy, and from terror to melancholy. Second, the cinematography fully exploits the scenery without detracting from the story. Much of `Japanese Story' was filmed around Port Headland in the Pilbara, but it's not a tourist brochure. Third, even the minor parts are played with precision (eg John Howard as the BHP man and Yukimo Tanaka as Tachibana's wife). It's difficult to judge just how effective Gotaro Tsunashima is – you'd need to be Japanese, I guess, and anyway the script is from an Australian, Alison Tilson. To my eyes he seems real enough, if we accept he's from a very privileged and sheltered background. It's interesting that Sandy seems to be the initiator of their intimacy (he doesn't resist!). I think this film would hold up well anywhere. It has more than the usual emotional content for an Australian film, an intriguing and poignant story, good acting, and it's not too long. The admission price is also considerably cheaper than an air ticket to Port Headland.