Himitsu no hanazono

Last night I saw the 1996 movie: Himitsu no hanazono . It was a simple yet fun movie. Fun for the whole family and something everyone could relate to. James xoxo.

Japanese uber-model Naomi Nishida makes her starring debut in

Shinobu Yaguchi's semi-legendary comedy.

A girl (Nishida) has been abnormally fascinated with money since

childhood -- so much so that she becomes the employee of a

bank. She realizes quickly that it's not as much fun handling

money that you don't own....

And that begins her hilarious odyssey that takes her through

armed robbery, and wins her a geology degree, a swimming

championshiip, a mountain-climbing contest, and injuries along

the way to her pursuit of a suitcase full of cash.

Director Yaguchi employs his usual deadpan humor in a story that

has you rooting for a hero who's often too funny for words. Finally

available on subtitled DVD, there's now no reason to put off your

responsibility to see this delight.

My Secret Cache (aka My Secret Garden) is a winning, deadpan comedy - thanks mainly to the winsome soundtrack, and the hilarious performance of Naomi Nishida.

Akiko (Nishida) has always liked money, but her job as a bank teller left her a little disillusioned. In a twist of fate, she's kidnapped by hapless bank robbers, leaving her a only taste of wealth. So, she the long way to get that money back.

Nishida's character is said to be "ugly" by a few characters, but at best, she's cute and almost cluelessly blunt. Since she's in nearly every frame, it ends up being a story of a young woman's realization that once you find inner wealth, money inevitably follows.

A naive notion? Perhaps, but Cache is a completely disarming comedy, and the slapdash special effects and editing can't erase its basic charm. It's fine on video, but the film really works with a live audience.

A film about a money-loving woman, who is simply lovable !

This would be my first Japanese movie other than monster classics like "Rodan". It will likely be my last Japanese comedy. Although the cast is game, the humor is somewhat lame. A few sight gags, but for the most part it seems very repetitive and the use of "stunt dolls" is another glaring negative. I'm sure Woody Allen doesn't play big in Japan, so my missing the Japanese humor here in the United States really isn't surprising. "My Secret Cache" is not a bad movie for the right audience, and I am certainly not trashing it, but as comedic entertainment the movie failed to impress................................MERK