Having been born in Japan, a young Belgian woman spends a year working for a large corporation in Tokyo. This is an enjoyable comedy about culture clash. Although she is obviously smart and driven, Amelie is given menial jobs in the Japanese company because she must earn her way up the corporate ladder. While there appear to be truths in the portrayal of the Japanese hierarchical structure, the filmmakers stress their points here by turning the Japanese characters into caricatures. In contrast to her one-dimensional Japanese co-workers, Testud creates a likable and sympathetic character who is determined to succeed despite the mistreatment by her superiors.
Review of Fear and Trembling
