Japanese Story
Though she has appeared in some fairly high-profile movies — including "The Sixth Sense" as Haley Joel Osment's mother — Toni Collette is hardly a household name. In fact, few outside of her native Australia would probably even recognize her, much less know her name.Some of that has to do with the fact that her appearance always changes, and because she immerses herself so deep into the parts she plays, it's hard to know where the role ends and the real Collette begins.
The same holds true for her role in "Japanese Story," an otherwise formulaic, "people-from-two-different-worlds" drama that almost succeeds on the strength of her performance alone. Of course, there's also a plot twist that occurs about two-thirds into the film, which finally generates a little excitement. (The filmmakers have asked that it not be revealed.)
Collette stars as Sandy Edwards, an Australian geologist who finds herself playing the role of "baby-sitter" for Tachibana Hiromitsu (Gotaro Tsunashima), a visiting Japanese businessman; her firm is hoping to strike a deal with his company.
Neither seems too thrilled by the prospect. Sandy is clearly bored as she takes Hiromitsu on a field trip around the outback . Similarly, the more refined businessman doesn't really appreciate her plain-spokenness or frequent crassness. And yet, their strained relationship takes an unexpected turn when their rental vehicle breaks down in the desert, and suddenly the two must depend on each other for survival.
Where the film does succeed, however, is as a cross-cultural study (similar to the considerably better "Lost in Translation"). And the contrast between Collette's intensity and Tsunashima's low-key effort does lead to a few interesting moments.
"Japanese Story" is rated R for scattered use of strong sexual profanity and some crude sexual talk, brief female and partial male nudity, and a brief scene of simulated sex. Running time: 107 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com