Lost in slapstick.

Rating: Null/10 (6 March 2004)

Just saw this movie yesterday evening and was so annoyed by the 'silly gook'-jokes and reactions to it by the crowd that i was considering walking away. Especially because the movie gave absolutely nothing in return for this overkill of slapstick, in spite of all the makers' pretensions. I understand that those who share the limited world-view with the one held by the main characters of this movie had a good time laughing about east-asians who mix up the 'r' with the 'l', but come on people it is so incredibly cheap! The whole movie is practically carried by this type of joke. Do it once: ok. Twice: ok. Three times: hmmm. The whole movie: get out of here. Wasn't there anything else to think of to make this movie worth the time? What about some genuine writing and directing skills? How about really having something to say?
Don't get me wrong. I have my laughs too when i look at a Jacky Chan movie, or listen to a Wu Tang-clan record. But during the whole movie, you expect some depth, some exploration, some message, something genuine. But it gives you nothing. Two unsympathetic characters bored in a metropolis having no weapon against there superfluousness than laughing at japanese grandpa's with baseball caps whose language they don't speak, and whose wisdom they don't share. All to hide the fact that they are not capable of living without watching their daily episode of 'Friends'. And all the time you have to like them. Sympathise with them. Be interested in them. Trying to make the crowd do this by turning all the people around them into caricatures removes any credibility and value from this movie.
I liked the acting though. Johansson was beautiful. I remain a fan of Bill Murray. I am afraid that with this movie they never knew what they wanted. Too bad they did not decide to make it a romantic comedy (the most loathsome of all genres) in the end. And don't pretend then that it is about anything else than laughing and crying.
Finally, I would like to say that i don't blame the director for her surname. A lot of worse movies than this are getting made so you don't need a famous father for that. And about the oscar-nomination: what do they mean anyway.