In "Train Man," a shy young man(Takayuki Yamada) intervenes to help stop the harassment of women on a train by a drunken businessman. Afterwards, one of the victims, a young woman(Miki Nakatani), sends him a nice set of cups as a thank you gift. He calls her to say thanks and asks her out to dinner, to which she says
yes. Buoyed by the advice of his online friends, he undergoes a drastic makeover in preparation for their date... "Train Man" is a sweet romantic movie that is neither vulgar nor condescending. Its central message of getting a life is ironically aimed at people who already have a life in the vibrant world of cyberspace. Granted it may not seem like a terribly attractive one to some, but it is still a valid one, even if most of one's friends are online.(For example, the three gameplayers enjoy playing video games together, so what's wrong with that?) The movie's definition of a successful life is narrowly defined as heterosexual romance. And identifying yourself only by how others see you is quite misguided. But I did like how courage is defined here.
October 10, 2007
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