Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by mr grits (A) on October 29, 2005 at 00:28:03

Sylvie Testud moves back to Japan to become Japanese. She was born there and lived in a state of fascination until she was five when her parents moved back to Belgium. She competes fiercely and lands a one-year contract at a Tokyo based international conglomerate. She begans her corporate life enthusiastically only to suddenly find that her Western ways don't mesh with Japanese business etiquette and pretense. (The glaring contrasts between East and West is both hilarious and horrifying.) Suffering one humiliation after another she perserveres to finish her contract without resigning or losing face. Once her contract is up she returns to Belgium disappointed at her failure and writing an autobiographical book on the subject.

This is a well-acted and produced film is filled with both laughs and drama. Testud and her Japanese couterpart, Miss Morii, show great delicacy in their performances while Testud proves, once again, that she doesn't have to be beautiful to attract the eye.

Interesting and well-done it deserves a look, see.