Japanese Story
Joe Nguyen, staff writer
Feb. 4, 2004

Sandy Edwards (Toni Collette) is a geologist. Tachibana Hiromitsu (Gotaro Tsunashima) is a businessman. Sandy is made his chauffer for his stay in Australia. The two have a dislike for one another at first, but after being stranded in the desert, they form a connection.

I saw a special screening of this movie at the Mayan (at 110 Broadway) on Tuesday night. Coming in, I was expecting a typical love story. How wrong I was.

Sandy is forced to be the driver for the son of a Japanese mogul who’s coming to Australia. She was not happy about this arrangement one bit. One of the biggest laughs from the audience was when she asked how to pronounce his name and Baird (Matthew Dyktynski) answers by saying, “Tachibana Hiromitsu.” I realized that I’ve been watching too much animé because it took me a second to realize that long Japanese names aren’t exactly run of the mill here in the states.

Toni Collette and Gotaro Tsunashima in "Japanese Story"

The two end up stranded in the desert for a night because their car gets stuck in the sand. Here, they ended up bonding with one another. The next day, they manage to get free and they drive back to Tachibana’s hotel.

Maybe it’s just me, but I thought that they hooked up really fast. At the hotel, the two become involved sexually. The scene was weird. Sandy undresses, but then she puts on Tachibana’s pants before making love. That didn’t make much sense to me, but what do I know right? The next day, Tachibana reveals a secret to Sandy.

Overall, this was a fine film. Collette and Tsunashima do a great job carrying this movie. Their chemistry is what pulls you into the movie. If you’re looking for a non-tradition love story that might just leave you teary-eyed, "Japanese Story" is a good one to choose.

Joe gives "Japanese Story":

Joe Nguyen is a staff writer for asiaXpress.com. You can reach Joe at joe@asiaxpress.com.

Back to The Reel World | Home