specifilics
The light hearted humor and dreamy plot of starting from nothing to achieving something is very appealing to younger kids. It's a shame the rating restricted it from its own audience in theaters, but thankfully it released on DVD very quickly.For a romantic comedy, it does a good job of balancing both while also introducing plenty of different aspects to Japanese culture. The actress herself did a wonderful job at presenting a character who was enticing to watch as she played the role of an apprentice with charm and innocence. I hope this movie reaches the wider audience it deserves.
KKrastin
It is a shame when someone so talented is taken away from this earth. Brittany Murphy is a star in this movie with her big sparkling eyes in Tokyo where she plays Abby. She finds herself alone in a community that she's not familiar with the language. She could have sat forever feeling sorry for herself or return back to America (dilemnas that we all often deal with at varying points in our lives - self examination and reflection and moving forward), instead she makes it her mission to be taught by a Ramen Chef. They are butting heads with each other with him calling her crazy, monkey brains and more. Recently I have been seeing some of her movies and wish we hadn't lost someone like that. Tragic really. I would definitely recommend this for a light hearted movie with some twist of surprises at every "corner" in the film.
Lloyd Bayer
Konnichiwa (Hello)Not all Asian movies are about martial arts or vengeful evil spirits. This is one such film that boldly goes on to prove just that. It is about culture, tradition, attitude, and endurance of the human spirit. Eventually, what it comes down to is a face-off between the perfectionism of the East versus the arrogance of the West, albeit in not as many words. Incorporated into an almost well written script are ample reasons illustrating exactly what makes the Japanese tick; what makes them strive for perfection and why they put their heart and soul into everything they do. I say almost well written, because the film holds its ground all the way only to end abruptly. That being said, it has a feel good ending which satisfies, nonetheless. When Abbey travels to Tokyo to spend time with her expatriate boyfriend Ethan, she has no clue of the rude shock awaiting her arrival. Even before she can unpack, Abbey is literally dumped on the sidewalk while Ethan takes off with no promise of return. Abandoned in this beautiful city yet unable to speak a word of Japanese, her life seems meaningless to a point where she suffers a mental breakdown while visiting a local noodle (ramen) house. When the proprietor reluctantly offers some solace, Abbey naively embarks on a journey of self esteem and acceptance. Soon, her interest in Japanese culture draws her in to the art of preparing the ultimate bowl of ramen, but not before enduring intolerable psychological torment from her teacher, Maezumi. Although the film claims to be a romantic comedy, elements of romance are very subtle, while humor pops up when you least expect it. As such, humor is manifested in scenes similar to when The Bride first meets the legendary sword craftsman Hattori Hanzō, in "Kill Bill: vol 1". This is clearly due to the language barrier, yet scripting is such that when the lead actors blurt out insults and abuse in their native language, the message goes across through visual disgust from sheer body language. Dialogue in this regard gives an authentic touch to the setting, even though subtitles interpret most Japanese conversations. Acting on the other hand, could have been better coming from Brittany Murphy as Abbey. Murphy's usual melodramatic style of acting complete with weird facial expressions are repeated, but somehow seems unfitting in her role here as an American struggling to understand the instructions of a Japanese cook. However, it is Toshiyuki Nishida who steals the show as the ramen cook turned master. Even with English subtitles, Nishida's portrayal of a tyrannical sensei is fascinating and his persona as a charismatic actor is evidently clear in all his scenes. Once Again, Japanese perfection.Speaking of Japan, director Robert Allan Ackerman has skillfully presented Far-Eastern culture and traditions through genuine locations, props and background music. This is not just a film on how to cook noodles, rather, rendering of the human spirit into anything that celebrates life, love and people, no matter where we come from. Considering his transition from TV movies to this debut theatrical release, Ackerman not only delivers a creative and original story fusing Eastern and Western way of thinking, but in the process announces his arrival in feel-good cinema. All in all, a decent film that takes a clever stab at cross-cultural communication and triumph against all odds. As in the end, when push comes to shove, each one of us really has what it to takes to make a difference, rise above stereotypical thinking, and achieve apparently complex goals with nothing but inner strength and an honest will to succeed.And, for what its worth, there a few easy to pick up Japanese phrases thrown in, just in case Arigatou (Thank you).
imdb-331-707144
The people who left good reviews must have a financial stake in this movie because I don't think I can adequately express just how terrible it was. Sometimes a movie can be entertaining precisely because it is so bad, but sadly, this movie can't even hit that mark. The "acting" is beyond atrocious. The only thing that separates this movie from a high school film project is professional cinematography. Not that it's great, but it's at least adequate for a widely released movie. Now, I can enjoy a cheesy romantic comedy as much as the next person, but this movie is really, really terrible. It's not good enough to make me think it was a serious production, but not funny enough to make me think it was a parody. Wikipedia says this movie had a $32 million budget, they must have spent it all on hookers and blow.
