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Sick Product of a Sick System

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

"Good bye".....and the life is gone.In the case of Setsuko, in her mind it already had....and then John. Because she felt passed by, Johns teaching techniques created a sense of warmth to a lost soul and Setsuko's emotions flirted with love masqueraded by lust of a meaningful life.The script and direction were exquisite as was the acting performances. None could be faulted.The only reason I am not giving 10/10 is because there were a couple of goofs but I am a nerd so I am always hunting for faults.This is a wonderful example of beautiful cinema. GO SEE IT!!

Even though the movie was Japanese, it could easily have been an American Indie movie. Complex characters and issues that can't result be resolved. No simple answers here

This film is not just a funny story about a middle-aged Japanese woman, falling in love with an American heartthrob then hopefully following him to the US, there's actually more true emotions to it. We could see how culture could be very different, the difference in generations, it gives us a light on why Japanese people are portrayed to be so emotional and how things affect them psychologically. The feeling of romance, empathy for loneliness, funny moments, a wee bit of hot unprecedented sex, anger and lots more thrown into there. A film worth more credit for the emotion it brings.

It is compelling how filmmaker Atsuko succeeds in stitching the many lighthearted comic moments so seamlessly with the more pressing and raw emotions that Lucy (Setsuko) struggles with as the film unfolds. She hardly verbalizes her emotions yet you could almost feel her character tugging wildly at your heartstrings. Lucy's naivety and a certain aura of innocence is captured so profoundly in Shinobu Terajima's plausible performance. The stellar cast as a whole delivers a sincere and heartfelt performance, complimenting each others conflicting personalities so effortlessly despite the language barrier. It was intriguing to see how diverse cultural differences have the potential to influence and ignite our latent desires for better or for worse. In the case of Setsuko, her humdrum life as a singleton middle aged Japanese office worker, turns giddy high when she stumbles upon John (Josh Hartnett), an unconventional English teacher from the US in the most unexpected of circumstances. His quirky techniques of teaching English which incorporates the need for her to take on a more liberal persona as Lucy, propels Setsuko to dare to delve deeper into her being and scratch the core to unveil an audacious side of her which will excite and overwhelm her beyond what she could possibly fathom. A side that leaves you questioning who she really is. Hailing from a conservative society, her sudden sense of liberation is hard to ignore when the plot quickly escalates and you find Lucy shedding her inhibitions recklessly in the US. She throws caution to the wind in her dealings with John and unabashedly proclaims that she is in love with him. But somehow you cant help but wonder if she genuinely feels for John or perhaps she is just wildly in love with her newfound freedom and persona which is tagged to John, as he is ultimately the catalyst that set her off on this journey of self discovery. Peppered with unexpected events, messy family feuds and raw human connections, the film slowly unravels the tainted sides of the key characters which somewhat serves to showcase the imperfections and complexities of life. When Lucy finally comes to her senses and finds herself in a boulevard of broken dreams and unrequited love, her character reveals a more vulnerable side of her once again which was what first captured our hearts in the beginning. We are reminded she is essentially only human and still deserving of empathy, despite her onslaught of arbitrary decisions that led to her downfall.A glimmer of hope comes in the form of Tom, an endearing saviour who leaves us feeling hopeful for Lucy and her shot at true love. Overall a film that succeeded in capturing an honest glimpse of human connections without romanticizing life, with a bold take on cultural differences sans being stereotypical or condescending that left me with a comforting reminder of hope when the odds are stacked against us.