I wanted so much to like this movie, not just because I watched it after Brittany Murphy's death, but also because I had seen the trailer sometime back and I thought it looked like a lovely West-meets-East fairy tale.
But it was not to be. My patience in holding out for a happy ending was demolished before too long. The Japanese ramen chef is simply too abrasive, with all his yelling and smacking. There was zero chance in developing any affection for him as a lovable old curmudgeon. Even the Japanese katana-maker in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was more lovable than this guy. Murphy's character is not so trying at least, though one has to wonder if she's not a bit masochistic to put up with all the abuse. And jezuz, half the yelling in the movie could be eliminated if either character would just get an interpreter in since neither understands the other. When Murphy starts dating a Jap guy who speaks English, I thought "Finally!" but no, she doesn't even introduce the two men to each other and well, more yelling ensued.
The movie didn't end on a satisfying note either. The grandmaster ramen chef didn't approve of her cooking? Wtf? This is a fluffy fantasy, not a based-on-a-true-story trials and tribulations movie. After all that abuse she put up with, she's still not up to scratch? Well the grumpy chef declared her his successor anyway, upon which she immediate runs back to the US to open her own restaurant. Doesn't seem very grateful to me. Maybe the grandmaster foresaw that. Whatever.
But it was not to be. My patience in holding out for a happy ending was demolished before too long. The Japanese ramen chef is simply too abrasive, with all his yelling and smacking. There was zero chance in developing any affection for him as a lovable old curmudgeon. Even the Japanese katana-maker in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was more lovable than this guy. Murphy's character is not so trying at least, though one has to wonder if she's not a bit masochistic to put up with all the abuse. And jezuz, half the yelling in the movie could be eliminated if either character would just get an interpreter in since neither understands the other. When Murphy starts dating a Jap guy who speaks English, I thought "Finally!" but no, she doesn't even introduce the two men to each other and well, more yelling ensued.
The movie didn't end on a satisfying note either. The grandmaster ramen chef didn't approve of her cooking? Wtf? This is a fluffy fantasy, not a based-on-a-true-story trials and tribulations movie. After all that abuse she put up with, she's still not up to scratch? Well the grumpy chef declared her his successor anyway, upon which she immediate runs back to the US to open her own restaurant. Doesn't seem very grateful to me. Maybe the grandmaster foresaw that. Whatever.