radicalmedia

This film is elegant and made with intelligence.

Unlike the histrionic over styling of "Somersault" or "Lantana", "Japanese Story" tells an epic story with intelligent and complex motivations -- and a sense of real uncertainty and darkness about the character's yearnings and predicaments.

The camera is simple -- few camera tricks to illicit our visceral emotion -- most of the work is smartly given to Collette who injects real pathos and hum our into her characterization which could have otherwise been a post-modern metaphor for ephemeral cross-cultural love.

There is the feel of "Hiroshima Mon Amour" and a strange (and humorously 'sandy' quality about the design) mixed with a sort of wry tongue in cheek nod to feminist dialogue about the woman stranded with a "Feminised" Asian man. The cliché in this film is intentional and cleverly spotted -- from a jar of Promite and instant coffee to bland Australian airport locations -- this film could almost be titled "Gidget becomes a geologist and loses the love of her life." I wish "Somersault" or "Lantana" could have been half as sophisticated in their director's palette -- there is chaos in this film amidst the rigidity of camera that allows the moments to breathe and take on their epic dramatic qualities (which could have easily been cut to pieces and made into television or a t.v commercial at the hands of the wrong director).

I recommend.

John Waters has made the most effusively buoyant, heartfelt, dark, personal little film I think I've ever seen (well maybe Fast Food Fast Women comes in close second) The directors vision is untainted...the narrative is whimsical, the characters are personal and odd reflections of family and his own inner life ...the tone never forced or stylistically over-arch.

There is no pretentious shot design, ennui, or magazine grading....Martha Plimpton is amazing as the sister..Eddie furlong is inspired casting. A grandmother with a talking Mary, tea-bagging, recycled clothing, yesterday's garbage becomes today's art -- and the lesson of the film is that the most important thing we can value is family ... and a humble life.

The dialog in this film is incredibly speakable -- in response to Mephisto -- and I think what you are unhappy with is it's camp melodramatic style -- which on a critical level is achieved with sophistication and panache.

Kerry Walker is a stand out as the mannish blossom -- ripening with rebellion and uncertainty -- the perfect counter to her mother played by Ruth Cracknell. Ruth's performance is genius -- the timing for black humour I have only seen seconded by Kathleen TUrner in Serial Mom.

This film is beautifully shot. The camera moves with deft purpose -- never feeling television or obvious -- but a secure mix of voyeurism and arch photographic signposting (appropriate to the camp postmodern genre) Australia (along with Spain, USA and Brazil, NEW ZEALAND-- thanks to ALmodovar, Waters and Jackson) is home of the CAMP aesthetic -- and culturally we've been balking at this over the last few years. But what's really going for us -- is something that uniquely expresses our nation's ironic plight of being a little America.

WALK THE TALK, LOVE SERENADE, SWEETIE are also worthy notables.