Japanese Story (2004)

Not what I was expecting at all. Was wondering where this movie was going and...bamm. Great movie. Great acting. Beautiful scenery. A good watch. Probably not very one's cup if tea tho.

Good Australian movie, I too was surprised.

I was really surprised at this movie. Didn't know what to expect, but it was beautiful.....could easily watch it again and again.....which is rare for me, because usually once I've seen a movie, even a good one, I only watch it once.

A very simply but lovely story line very enjoyable

Nice story, beautiful scenery of the outback but so slow at times. Too much of camera showing Colette staring.

Very Australian

Interesting movie set in outback australia difficult with a jap guy to communicate with aussie lass and to grasp our culture, they have a lot to learn

As usual the aussies have done it again. What an actress Toni Colllette is. Would love to see more of her. After the disappointment of Wendy & Lucy this was a terrific surprise.

A good movie to watch

Interesting story, slow but I enjoyed - Luv Toni Collette

Excellent movie. So under rated. Watched it twice and loved every minute of it.

Wasn't what I expected. Great scenes of Western Australia, and interesting look at how cultural difference can be an issue with people understanding each other.

a good australian movie, story interesting but in parts slow, scenery of our fantastic outback couldn,t be faulted, Toni Collette played her part superbley

A very slow movie. Reviews were better than the movie itself. A waste of time.

This one left me a bit flat. I watched it on the recommendation of a friend and couldn't see why she raved.

Yes, unexpected storyline. Great footage of WA region. I didnt like the characters in the beginning, but that changes.

I kept hoping the movie would get better but on the contrary it kept getting worse and worse. A very stupid movie, bad acting, boring and almost no music. A total waste of time.

Wonderfully shot and very much worth watching

This film explores the cultural divide that often stops people from different countries getting to know one another. The acting was great and the locations authentic Australian outback. Action was very subtle and the focus is on the emotions.

It was OK.

What a great film. Certainly different, maybe a little long in parts, touching all the emotions from laughter to tears. An unexpected conclusion is worth seeing it through.

A really moving and powerful story, exploring the misunderstandings between cultures.

Worth watching but the quality of the DVD was extremely poor in parts, which spoilt the story.

This movie was well made. There was good acting and the scenery was amazing, however I found the plot to be too disturbing and there were some bizarre parts of the film too. It is not really a movie you could watch again. It is also not a feel good movie.

Great performances and scenery, but a rather improbable storyline

An enjoyable romp in outback W.A....well acted..graet scenery...slow moving in sections...gives an insight into the great mineral boom currently being experienced by australia....particularly W.A.

Films with Toni Collette are always worth watching and this is no exception. A road trip where the driver (Toni Collette) doesn't want to be there and the passenger thinks the driver is loud and aggressive. Great Pilbara scenery too.

The acting the photography the story made this a movie not to be missed.

An enjoyable movie. Yes, slow to start, but ended up being riveting to watch. Great acting all round.

Pretty slow.

Yes, this DVD was something a bit different - I like Aussie films more so than Yankee.

Happy to support Australian movies, thought this was going to be a lot of scenery of WA, it turned out to be an intriguing story with the Japanese visitor being returned home in a coffin.

Interesting, intensely filmed piece from the director-producer team from "Road to Nhill" is less like "The Goddess of 1967" than you might think, though it does retain a similar theme. Without giving too much away, there is a major plot twist, although whether this works ? as an example of cinema ? is open to interpretation. Collette is superb in arguably her best role to date (the only competition is her role as the young Lilian in "Lilian?s Story"), and Tsunashima slips easily into his role as the sole Japanese man subjected to predictable racism from Australia?s redneck masculine north. Disappointing that it refrained completely from political comment regarding imprisonment of asylum seekers (considering the film was shot at Port Hedland) and the destructiveness of large-scale mining on both the environment and Aboriginal land. Not the best Australian film of 2003 by any stretch of the imagination, its appeal seems confined to an older demographic than that of, say, "The Rage in Placid Lake", although expect it to win the AFI Award. Talk of an Academy Award nomination, based on its widespread acclaim at Cannes, was not much more than puffery.

Worth watching and very surprising. Not what I expected at all.

I really enjoyed the movie, however I heard so many others rave about it that I felt a little disappointed afterwards.

Great scenery, but the story didn't really work for me.A bit slow.

Entertaining. Excellent location and cast with an average story.

I'd been hearing rave reviews about this movie, hence the reason I requested it. I found it a bit slow to start with, then we are introduced to the wonderful scenery of the WA outback. This helped to keep me interested. Then "POW", there is a twist that you just do not see coming and the whole outlook of the movie changes. Toni Collette's performance was remarkable, one of the best I've seen from her since Muriel's Wedding. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes Australian movies, especially those people who like to be surprised.

Very beautiful film but I didn't feel interested in the characters.

The story line is unexpected and Toni Collette is always worth watching, but this is a movie that falls into the category of "could have been". A little more effort to see things from a (not "the") Japanese perspective and an actor such as Asano Tadanobu or Kubozuka Yosuke to match the presence of Collette very well could have made this a great movie.

I was expecting something a bit different, it is quite sad really and maybe a touch chick flick-ish. Good angles on Japanese and Australian views using the outback (cliche?).

It was absoltely beautifully made -- the scenery and the acting were both intriguing. after awhile it got incredibly slow and sad. very moving.

Good performances, interesting story, but very slow...

A fabulous film once again by Sue Brooks (Road to Nhill)showing human strengths frailities. Beautifully filmed in outback Aus.with a Japanese influence. A drama, love story,and "travelog" too. A definite "must see" with a twist

100 minutes too long

I think this one is more a womens movie. I liked it very much and is is a good movie to watch in the afternoon, on your own. Toni was great. Worth watching indeed.

Beautifully shot, pointlessly written. Storyline seem redundant to the scenery that surrounds it.

Great scenery and photography of the outback. Dialogue and story let it down somewhat.

A little tedious in places and somewhat lacking in solid build, but overall not too bad. Maybe+

Fanatastic scenery/cinematography

Captivating story.

A good performace from Toni Collette and a real twist in the story.

Shocked and moved by such an unexpected performance and story. ......and beautifully shot! Brilliant

Unusal, but with happy moments. It wasn't what I expected.

It seemed to be a bit slow in the total movie but on the other hand the movie went quickly.the australian bush scenes are amazing and it is filmed beautifully.

A story of a woman falling in love with a Japanese tourist she is showing the outback, and then having to deal with grief when he kills himself by diving into a water hole without checking depth. This is a powerful movie.

Well told story with an unexpected twist.

A great story with an unexpected twist.Two great performances

Really different to what I expected! Loved it.

Very interesting story. Gets better in the second half.

Not bad as far as romances go (not my favourite movie genre).Toni Collette is wonderful as ever. The scenerey was just great. (I want to go to the Pilbara!) Showed how short life can be.

This ranks as one of my favourite films. Toni Collette is superb. The music and photography enhance the story beautifully. The direction is incredibly sensitive, allowing silences to speak volumes.

Arid

Great movie.

Can't say I'm a big fan of Australian movies. Don't think this deserved the hype it received. Slow. Slow. Slow.

The fabulous shots of Pilbara scenery were enough to make this film special for me, but Toni Collette's ability to become a totally engaging character is the icing on the cake. Although the plot is meagre, this doesn't seem to matter.

Not quite the movie I was expecting - very sad but still good. Powerful performance by Toni Collette as always.

Directed with exquisite sensitivity.

Great acting by all concerned.

Good Australian movie with an even better cast. Beautifully shot with huge outback landscape.

This took me a while to get into. I found Toni Collette's portrayal of her character a little harsh, rude and un-neccesary in the beginning of the movie. I regretted those thoughts by the end. You truly are marvelous and I am sorry I doubted you.