It depends on how you take it

Rating: 4/10 (4 September 2004)

If you enjoy a hearty post-film analysis session, or simply like pretentious movies, then this is one for you. If you want to be entertained a la 'while you were sleeping' where the film has a beginning, middle and end, and a slushy romantic story that is dished out without you having to think too deeply then you might come away from this film feeling a little cheated. True, there is a plot. True there is progression  but I couldn't help feeling 'so what' after the film ended and cared not a jot about what lay ahead for our two leading players. Other reviews have pointed out that the film has hidden depths that need exploring, and that the 'face value' impression of the film (ie: Japan is a goddam awful place in which to be alone) is not the true message. Well, fair enough, but I wasn't handed a piece of paper stating this fact before sitting down to watch the film and there wasn't a post-presentation debrief on the rental DVD, so I'm just left with my own personal impression formed by what I saw. Could I now be tempted to watch the film again to re-explore its myriad of metaphors  not really.