Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      Japanese Story

      2003, Romance/Drama, 1h 45m

      92 Reviews 5,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      An emotional film where Toni Collette gets to show her impressive range. Read critic reviews

      You might also like

      See More
      Nine Lives
      The Secret Lives of Dentists
      Love the Hard Way
      Lady Chatterley
      Innocence

      Where to watch Japanese Story

      Subscription Rent/buy

      Watch Japanese Story with a subscription on Amazon Prime Video, rent on Apple TV, or buy on Apple TV.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      Japanese Story  Photos

      Japanese Story (2003) Japanese Story (2003) Japanese Story (2003) Japanese Story (2003) Japanese Story (2003) Japanese Story (2003)

      Movie Info

      Sandy (Toni Collette), the co-owner of a software company, is responsible for making sure a Japanese businessman, Hiromitsu Tachibana (Gotaro Tsunashima), is taken care of while they try to work out a possible deal. A power play is immediately set into motion, with Hiromitsu treating Sandy as his subordinate and Sandy accepting it. Their relationship, however, grows much more complicated when they get stuck in the desert with only each other to count on.

      • Rating: R (Language|Some Sexuality)

      • Genre: Romance, Drama

      • Original Language: English (Australia)

      • Director: Sue Brooks

      • Producer: Sue Maslin

      • Writer: Alison Tilson

      • Release Date (Theaters):  original

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $647.1K

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company, IDP Distribution

      • Production Co: Gecko Films

      • Sound Mix: Surround

      Cast & Crew

      Critic Reviews for Japanese Story

      Audience Reviews for Japanese Story

      • Jun 20, 2011

        Good movie overall, carried by Toni Collete's strong performance. The problem with the movie is that it turns on the waterworks really heavy at the end there. It was good, but it felt like too much. There's also the matter of the 'twist' and how it's handled. It's just out of left field. Just because this can happen in real life doesn't mean it's going to work in a movie. In here, it just happens there's no build up to it and it feels flat. Of course, you can't build up to a moment that's supposed to be completely random, but it just felt flat. For example, Audition, started off like a romantic comedy but you always had an uneasy feeling and that something weird is gonna come out of this. In this movie it just happens. It's probably all a moot point anyway because, again, it's supposed to be a random moment. Anyway, the movie is still good. It has some touching moments and Toni Collete is great.

        jesse o Super Reviewer
      • Mar 03, 2011

        Cheesy Australian mismatched couple drama raised above the average by Toni Collettes action and some very nice pictures of the Australian mining industry. <img src="http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/images/29/japanese_story.jpg">

        Super Reviewer
      • Feb 15, 2010

        A shocking and touching film. A very unique tale that is executed with a true genuine quality to it.

        Super Reviewer
      • Sep 05, 2009

        <a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>for sexuality and language Japanese Story had a good storyline, and an unexpected surprise. The romantic part between Colette and the Japanese was nice to see, two complete different culture. The movie was developing so nice till the last part. I could not understand why they had to do this and let it end this way. It wasn't necessary. Toni Collette did a very good as the Australian geologist who must tour around the Japanese businessman. They become friends during this trip in the Australian desert.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All