Brilliant!

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2004)

This movie worked on so many levels. It correctly identify the "craziness" that Japanese culture has to a Westerner. This is why the lead actor/actress looks uncomfortable when out in Tokyo. I lived in Japan for 2 years and it brought back so many memories and I laughed out loud at many things it covered. Also, the setting helped isolate the leads to make them seem more alone, despite being in a major city. The clever use of silence in the scenes also helped enforce this perception. The storyline was as poignant as I've seen for a long time and it is one of the few movies to come out for a while without gratuitous sex or violence. I found it very endearing and the best movie I've seen released since "Life is Beautiful."