What happens when a flighty American woman decides she wants to learn how to cook Japanese ramen? She falls in love, of course! ...wait, what?
I heard about Ramen Girl on Beth Fish Reads, and since I'm a fangirl for all things Japanese, I immediately decided I had to watch it. The movie stars the late Brittany Murphy as a young woman who moves to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend, who looks like Blane's friend from Pretty In Pink--you know, the asshole guy who drinks too much. But apparently Murphy's character has never seen Pretty In Pink, because when the boyfriend says, "Uh, I have to go to Okinawa, like yesterday... uh, I won't have time to hang out, I'll be working... uh, I don't know how long I'll be gone? Look, I'm breaking up with you, is what I'm trying to say!" she's completely gobsmacked. Then a magical breeze beckons her to a ramen restaurant across the street from her flat, where she discovers her purpose in life: to make soup!
This movie was very reminiscent of Simply Irresistible, an earlier film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar about a young woman who inherits a restaurant and discovers that when she cooks, she can make people feel the same emotion she does (which in itself was reminiscent of Like Water for Chocolate, except without everyone dying at the end). Also, there are dancing crabs and magical breezes, and she falls in love. Of course! Ramen Girl is basically that movie, but set in Japan and with a more muddied storyline.
I did like the movie, even though there were cheesy parts. Above all I enjoyed the setting and the grumpy alcoholic ramen chef who tortures Murphy for most of the film. Murphy's Japanese/Korean boyfriend was also super-cute. I was completely with this movie until the end, when it seemed like all of a sudden she's a ramen chef (?). Hm, how did that happen? You were only allowed to scrub floors 2 minutes ago, girl! The denouement made me confused and really sad, and made me snort in disbelief, in that order.
Overall, though, this a light and fun romcom with a unique setting. Worth checking out if you need a brain break.
I heard about Ramen Girl on Beth Fish Reads, and since I'm a fangirl for all things Japanese, I immediately decided I had to watch it. The movie stars the late Brittany Murphy as a young woman who moves to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend, who looks like Blane's friend from Pretty In Pink--you know, the asshole guy who drinks too much. But apparently Murphy's character has never seen Pretty In Pink, because when the boyfriend says, "Uh, I have to go to Okinawa, like yesterday... uh, I won't have time to hang out, I'll be working... uh, I don't know how long I'll be gone? Look, I'm breaking up with you, is what I'm trying to say!" she's completely gobsmacked. Then a magical breeze beckons her to a ramen restaurant across the street from her flat, where she discovers her purpose in life: to make soup!
This movie was very reminiscent of Simply Irresistible, an earlier film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar about a young woman who inherits a restaurant and discovers that when she cooks, she can make people feel the same emotion she does (which in itself was reminiscent of Like Water for Chocolate, except without everyone dying at the end). Also, there are dancing crabs and magical breezes, and she falls in love. Of course! Ramen Girl is basically that movie, but set in Japan and with a more muddied storyline.
I did like the movie, even though there were cheesy parts. Above all I enjoyed the setting and the grumpy alcoholic ramen chef who tortures Murphy for most of the film. Murphy's Japanese/Korean boyfriend was also super-cute. I was completely with this movie until the end, when it seemed like all of a sudden she's a ramen chef (?). Hm, how did that happen? You were only allowed to scrub floors 2 minutes ago, girl! The denouement made me confused and really sad, and made me snort in disbelief, in that order.
Overall, though, this a light and fun romcom with a unique setting. Worth checking out if you need a brain break.
Weekend Cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads and is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share.
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