Japanese Story (B or 3/4 stars)
I was spellbound while watching 'Japanese Story', an Australian drama directed by Sue Brooks. A geologist named Sandy Edwards (Toni Collette) and a Japanese businessman, Hiromitsu Tachibana (an impressive Gotaro Tsunashima) don't particularly like each other at first, but a harrowing journey through Western Australia's Pilbura Desert brings this mismatched couple close together in more ways than one. This is one of the saddest films I've seen in several years. But its' gorgeous landscapes, air-tight performance by Toni Collette, and thoughtful screenplay is mesmerizing.
Hiromitsu is the son of a wealthy Japanese industrialist. Simply, he's in Australia to purchase some of it. Like most of the rest of Australia, Sandy is aware of this and doesn't like it; she's rather reluctant to take him on his lucrative pleasure tour. Wanting to see the wilderness, defying all fears, he asks Sandy to take him as far west as possible. They face extreme heat, extreme cold, and vehicular problems, just to name a few. As the days go by, the foul taste that they once had in their mouth for each other disappears. One thing leads to another, and they find they're a comfort to each other; terrified to go back to the life they were living.
For the most part, this movie is about them and their journey in Australia's vast, harrowing wilderness. Hiromitsu can't believe how a land that is full of so much 'nothingness' can inhabit such few people (a stark contrast to his country). The movie is intimate; so intimate that we feel like we 'are' one of these two characters. Set against the incredible back-drop of orange dirt, monstrous hills, rocks, stone, and the blue sky, quite the picture is painted for us. The cinematography is surreal, almost dreamlike. This backdrop accompanied by a sensitive, Asian-influenced musical score really sets the tone for the plot of the movie.
Just when we sit back and relax in their blossoming companionship, fate steps in and rudely awakens us out of our blissful haze. You almost can't believe what is happening before your eyes. And Toni Collette's performance in this critical moment is so startling; so visceral. Now, the movie is paced quite slowly. But not in the 'let-me-look-at-my-wristwatch-again' slowly; more like, 'this is intentionally setting me up to be blown away at some point, and I don't know when'.
What once starts as a cliche 'mispairing of a friendship/relationship', turns into something stranger. Through silence, loneliness, and isolation from the rest of the world (out in the desert), they slowly lose their hearts to one another. I became hypnotized as the film played out and don't even remember when the hypnotizing began, it just did. The film is about the welcomed surprises that life offers, and responsibility in the face of great turmoil. While I praise 'Japanese Story' for its effectiveness, I also warn the viewers that you may only want to watch this if you've suffered a grievous loss and need this film as a familiar shoulder to cry on.
Hiromitsu is the son of a wealthy Japanese industrialist. Simply, he's in Australia to purchase some of it. Like most of the rest of Australia, Sandy is aware of this and doesn't like it; she's rather reluctant to take him on his lucrative pleasure tour. Wanting to see the wilderness, defying all fears, he asks Sandy to take him as far west as possible. They face extreme heat, extreme cold, and vehicular problems, just to name a few. As the days go by, the foul taste that they once had in their mouth for each other disappears. One thing leads to another, and they find they're a comfort to each other; terrified to go back to the life they were living.
For the most part, this movie is about them and their journey in Australia's vast, harrowing wilderness. Hiromitsu can't believe how a land that is full of so much 'nothingness' can inhabit such few people (a stark contrast to his country). The movie is intimate; so intimate that we feel like we 'are' one of these two characters. Set against the incredible back-drop of orange dirt, monstrous hills, rocks, stone, and the blue sky, quite the picture is painted for us. The cinematography is surreal, almost dreamlike. This backdrop accompanied by a sensitive, Asian-influenced musical score really sets the tone for the plot of the movie.
Just when we sit back and relax in their blossoming companionship, fate steps in and rudely awakens us out of our blissful haze. You almost can't believe what is happening before your eyes. And Toni Collette's performance in this critical moment is so startling; so visceral. Now, the movie is paced quite slowly. But not in the 'let-me-look-at-my-wristwatch-again' slowly; more like, 'this is intentionally setting me up to be blown away at some point, and I don't know when'.
What once starts as a cliche 'mispairing of a friendship/relationship', turns into something stranger. Through silence, loneliness, and isolation from the rest of the world (out in the desert), they slowly lose their hearts to one another. I became hypnotized as the film played out and don't even remember when the hypnotizing began, it just did. The film is about the welcomed surprises that life offers, and responsibility in the face of great turmoil. While I praise 'Japanese Story' for its effectiveness, I also warn the viewers that you may only want to watch this if you've suffered a grievous loss and need this film as a familiar shoulder to cry on.