The (Japanese) Emperor's New Clothes

Rating: 5/10 (18 February 2004)

This film falls into the category I call "Emperor's New Clothes" (ENC), as it has achieved fame and accolades for "deep meaning" and "sensitivity" but really is a two hour film about two boring, unhappy people who meet in a foreign county in which they don't speak the language. That's pretty much it, and there's not much too "deep" in flogging the limited cinematic possibilities offered by the premises that some Japanese people don't speak English, that some Japanese people speak English (and sing kareoke) with a heavy accent, and that some parts of Japanese popular culture may be different from what Americans might enjoy. As an American I have often found it amusing that some Europeans who frequent the IMBD boards take great umbrage at perceived slights (real and imagined) inflicted upon their national honor, history and integrity by ostensibly "American" film makers and screenwriters. In some cases it may even be justified. There is no excuse for this movie's outright mockery of the Japanese, however, and it is astonishing to me that this insulting vapid waste of time- a two hour tribute to nothing but Sofia's attempt to reimagine her marriage to Spike, and the time she wasted hanging around Tokyo hotel suites- is somehow being hailed as great storytelling, or great anything. The Japanese whiskey company can pay fading action movie star Bill Murray $2 million to endorse its product, but cannot afford to pay for a competent translator for filming the commercial? A wig magically appears (and just as magically disappears) when young Scarlett is singing kareoke. Bill Murray plays, well Bill Murray, doing his SNL lounge singer character. The final climactic moment of the movie is a whisper not shared with the audience. Is this writing or in fact the absence of writing? Scarlett's song is one made famous by the Pretenders; how fitting indeed: The Emperor has no clothes! The movie features