Gôsuto

It is said that there is no more room for originality in our postmodern world as everything the human race can conceive has been said, done and documented. Even if some might disagree, the constant regurgitation of remakes done onto our movie screens probably says otherwise. And surprisingly (or maybe not), the latest movie remake to hit our shores is one re-produced, not by Hollywood, but by the people most likely to come up with crazy stuff that no one else in the other corners of the world has probably thought of - the Japanese.

Although there are several tweaks as compared to the Moore and Swayze original, like the role reversal of its couple – the female partner dies in this one and the male is the ceramist, 'Ghost' essentially takes on the same romantic fantasy plot. For those, like me, who were too young to experience the cultural impact of this early nineties movie, watching the remake would probably not help us get any closer to that. If you are wondering just what form of cultural impact took place based on a movie about a girl and her lover from another dimension, do know that it did bag, amongst other accolades, an Oscar Best Picture nomination in 1991. It seems that nothing much has changed and there is still something about the love between a person and a supernatural being that sets people off. Well, at least the ghost lover in this movie does not sparkle; she just glows with heavenly light.

To be fair, some effort has been made in updating the movie according to the tastes of today's audiences. Featuring dreamy retro-tinged scenes of Tokyo's suburbs and a handsome and sensitive Korean character as the male lead, it is obvious that the producers are aiming for a piece of the current East Asian zeitgeist. Looking and feeling very much like a heartwarming Korean drama, fans of the genre might be easily pleased at watching two good-looking people taking their time to fall in love and stay in love despite obstacles.

Song Seung Heon, model and familiar face of K-dramas like 'East of Eden' and 'Autumn Fairy Tale', plays Juno Kim – a Korean ceramist who lives in Tokyo. His girlfriend is Nanami – acted by another well-known East Asian star Nanako Matsushima. Even if you are not a fan of Japanese dramas, you might remember her as the lead in 'The Ring'. Both of them play their parts with a certain tender conservativeness and sensitivity that is probably not unusual for mainstream Asian romantic movies. To be honest, it is no Hollywood romcom, so if you do not enjoy beautiful people staring longingly into each other's eyes for the longest time and having sweet and unassuming interaction, then you would probably be better off watching Natalie Portman's romantic movies.

The saving grace to the slowness of 'Ghost' is Whoopi Goldberg's equivalent – Satsuki Unten the fake psychic. With her stereotypical crazy old psychic expression and jittery demeanor, she adds laughter and a twist of craziness to the already quite absurd situation. As she is contacted by Nanami and proceeds to discover that her fake psychic powers are not so fake anymore, hilarity ensues as she tries to convince the grieving boyfriend that his girlfriend is still around and there is more to her death than is known. The eventual tragic parting after all the unfinished business is completed is guaranteed to draw some tears – only if you can get over the fact that she is a ghost and that dead people can return in movies.

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I've never seen the American version of ghost but this Japanese version is amazing It's a sad heartbreaking love story and I cried throughout the movie The acting by the two leads is amazing and the ending is very emotional It's a movie you'll want to watch over and over I can't recommend this movie enough it's just amazing

Hopefully ghost will get an American blu Ray release but fortunately it's currently available to stream on Tubi TV

Highly recommended

I was surprised to find that I enjoyed this Japanese remake of Ghost even more than the original Hollywood version. One of the problems with the original is that it could never quite decide what genre it wanted to be. Most people think of Ghost as a romance; however, since Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore's characters were already an established couple, just moving in together at the film's start, there wasn't a tremendous amount of romance in their relationship, despite the famous pottery scene. The villains were dark enough to suggest this movie really wanted to be a thriller, complete with a high-stakes heist. Whoopi Goldberg's performance as the con artist-turned-real psychic was hilarious enough to garner her an Oscar, yet her over-the-top comedy completely broke the mood. By shoving together the elements of a romance, thriller, and comedy in ways that grated against, rather than complemented each other, the final product was a confused muddle.

The remake falls much more solidly into the romance category, starting when the couple first meets. There is a gender reversal from the original; Nanami is the high-powered businesswoman, Juno the sensitive male potter, and it works well, providing a more modern feel. We get to see them fall in love, and watch as the unique moments they share – which will later become "tells" for Nanami as a ghost – are created. This makes these moments much more powerful for the audience and enhances the emotional punch of the couple's separation and longing for each other. While the Japanese version showed more restraint with the love scene (staying at a PG rating rather than the PG-13 of the American version), don't mistake modesty for lack of passion. The pottery scene in this one is every bit as affecting as the original, and far more tender.

Several other changes help minimize distraction from the romance. The original version showed Swayze being reluctantly mentored by an unhinged spirit from the subway whose violence was senseless and disjointed from the rest of the film. The Japanese version uses a small child Nanami meets in the hospital; not only is this more logical, this character also ties in beautifully with Juno's decision in the climax of the film. The psychic is still eccentric and amusing, but she never steals the show away from the leads. Also the fate of the missing funds in the American version is dropped completely, replaced with a dramatic conclusion that provides much more emotional resonance. I found this version of Ghost to be more enchanting and satisfying overall than the original, so it's one film that I'm glad they remade!

Ok note that I love the classics and not a fan of almost all remakes of anything. But dang it this one I try hard to cope through just because I adore the casting, the story though feels sloww and painful. Asian movies should just stay making Asian-vibe things cause this just ain't it. Feels forced almost.

Well, I am still partial to the original BUT this isn't a bad remake. The roles are changed up and while the story is similar in a lot of ways, it is still it's own film. I wouldn't mind recommending it to friends but as I said I will always be partial to the original. I don't think that anyone could have acted better than Patrick Swazye. Just my opinion.