The overwhelming impression i had of this film was that it had great moments (particularly on the part of the actors) but could perhaps have gone a lot further in all other aspects. I wouldn't call it inadequate, though, just... incomplete.
The acting deserves special mention. Toni Collette's performance was simply outstanding, and fairly well-matched by the others. There was a general sense for me that the cast had been chosen very carefully and the result was was an entirely believable group of characters that were always 100% in their vigor, even during the most banal scenes, not just the 'oscar' moments. This is an incredibly refreshing thing to see in a film, making it all the more engaging.
Unfortunately, the narrative and the written part of the character development are so weak that the actors (Especially Collette) at times seem to be pulling out extra resources from their psyches beyond the emotional world of the film, in order to achieve stunning performances. That is nothing unusual in film, but isn't always the best option since it can interfere with the group 'vibe' by making actors too sunk into their own little worlds when they should be feeding each other to enhance an audience's understanding of the whole the film. The cinematography is also a bit 'absent', relying too much on beautiful locations or interesting sites (mise-en-scene) that are are not framed as interestingly by the camera.
Thematically, the film poses some very interesting and pertinent questions, sometimes directed at itself. For example, why is it called 'A Japanese Story' when it tells us virtually nothing significant about the 'Japanese' experience or culture? The film's perception and/or portrayal of 'the foreign' is entirely Orientalist, using the largely exorcist and psychologically shallow Japanese male lead to tell us more about the substantially more complex Australian female character than about himself. Genderwise, of course, this may be an interesting and necessary challenge to mainstream viewership, since we are so used to 'deep' male characters alongside mostly cosmetic, objectified and/or expendable women. But the focus on an 'other' (non-white) culture to pose this challenge is problematic, especially when that 'other'culture is not really explained but rather coldly represented through a 'white' gaze - despite the obviously very 'western' lifestyle of the Japanese man. (Lets not forget that Australia, like the USA, is a product of colonization, with an indigenous population who are still marginalized, so that the lack of cultural reflexivity - not political correctness - in an Australian film is always disturbing). The equal complexity of Japanese individual humanity is superseded by the surface appearance of an imagined, plus grossly stereotyped and generalized,Japanese 'national' character. This opens the film up, rather easily and unnecessarily, to charges of xenophobia at best and racism at worst.
Overall, however, the film rises as an admirable and bold attempt at a tricky subject and an uncommon plot within arguably quite unique circumstances. But the general feeling remains that this is an incomplete film, which leaves one with too many unanswered questions, both aesthetically and politically. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth seeing and judging for yourself, and promises some satisfying, if short-lived,moments of beauty.
The acting deserves special mention. Toni Collette's performance was simply outstanding, and fairly well-matched by the others. There was a general sense for me that the cast had been chosen very carefully and the result was was an entirely believable group of characters that were always 100% in their vigor, even during the most banal scenes, not just the 'oscar' moments. This is an incredibly refreshing thing to see in a film, making it all the more engaging.
Unfortunately, the narrative and the written part of the character development are so weak that the actors (Especially Collette) at times seem to be pulling out extra resources from their psyches beyond the emotional world of the film, in order to achieve stunning performances. That is nothing unusual in film, but isn't always the best option since it can interfere with the group 'vibe' by making actors too sunk into their own little worlds when they should be feeding each other to enhance an audience's understanding of the whole the film. The cinematography is also a bit 'absent', relying too much on beautiful locations or interesting sites (mise-en-scene) that are are not framed as interestingly by the camera.
Thematically, the film poses some very interesting and pertinent questions, sometimes directed at itself. For example, why is it called 'A Japanese Story' when it tells us virtually nothing significant about the 'Japanese' experience or culture? The film's perception and/or portrayal of 'the foreign' is entirely Orientalist, using the largely exorcist and psychologically shallow Japanese male lead to tell us more about the substantially more complex Australian female character than about himself. Genderwise, of course, this may be an interesting and necessary challenge to mainstream viewership, since we are so used to 'deep' male characters alongside mostly cosmetic, objectified and/or expendable women. But the focus on an 'other' (non-white) culture to pose this challenge is problematic, especially when that 'other'culture is not really explained but rather coldly represented through a 'white' gaze - despite the obviously very 'western' lifestyle of the Japanese man. (Lets not forget that Australia, like the USA, is a product of colonization, with an indigenous population who are still marginalized, so that the lack of cultural reflexivity - not political correctness - in an Australian film is always disturbing). The equal complexity of Japanese individual humanity is superseded by the surface appearance of an imagined, plus grossly stereotyped and generalized,Japanese 'national' character. This opens the film up, rather easily and unnecessarily, to charges of xenophobia at best and racism at worst.
Overall, however, the film rises as an admirable and bold attempt at a tricky subject and an uncommon plot within arguably quite unique circumstances. But the general feeling remains that this is an incomplete film, which leaves one with too many unanswered questions, both aesthetically and politically. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth seeing and judging for yourself, and promises some satisfying, if short-lived,moments of beauty.