The Ramen Girl (2009)

I'll tell you why so serious

As Good As It Gets

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

One of the strangest and most enjoyable Japanese films I have seen in "Tampopo"--a wonderful film about a woman who is struggling to make her ramen noodle shop the greatest on the planet. It's quirky and lovable. Now, with "The Ramen Girl", similar material is being explored and the results are quite pleasant if not in the same league as "Tampopo".Brittany Murphy stars as Abby--a rather spoiled and stupid young woman who foolishly has come to Tokyo to follow a man. She knows none of the language and is totally in over her head--especially since her only focus is this guy. When he breaks up with her, she has nothing.One night, she goes to a nearby ramen shop. There, the owner and his wife speak no English and Abby speaks no Japanese yet somehow she muddles through. After eating the ramen, she is captivated--so much so that she comes back the next night. Soon this dippy lady has a plan--to learn to make ramen like the masters. But, as she knows no Japanese and the owner/chef knows no English, getting this point across to him is practically impossible. So, instead of his taking her on as an apprentice, she becomes like an annoying squatter who won't go home! Reluctantly, he teaches her.This is a film I would rate higher in enjoyment than I would overall. This is because too often the film simply makes no sense nor does Abby. How she learns all this without really understanding the language and culture as well as how and why the man teaches her are all a mystery! It's enjoyable but mindless as well. Worth seeing, but see "Tampopo" first.

This movie while watchable did not do justice to the theme of "student becomes master" films. The writers obviously knew but could not allow the lessons being taught to the main protagonist be fully recognized by the student which could have taken this story to a fresh satisfying conclusion. The two western characters added nothing to progress the story and served as a distraction and to show a gaudy western ethos. More time should have been spent on fleshing out the main characters especially the Sensei that on these two.It was great to see Tsutomu Yamazaki, the Sensei in Tampopo. I highly recommend seeing Tampopo which demonstrates a masterful telling of this type of story.

It wasn't at all as bad as some have made it out to be. I'm glad I saw it. I've never even heard of it before this morning, as it started I gave it ten minutes to catch me or I was gonna turn on mr. poppers penguins..but I fell right into it n set the DVr to record poppers penguins. It was good n heartwarming. Through the language barrier she gave off that "u can push me,but will never break me""girl with a heart of gold" feeling. She always had that in her acting. She'll be missed :( Oh! N the Japanese love interest- smokin hot! Hot damn! I guess I have to add two extra lines :/ hmm, the movie made me a little hungry for soup! :D I've said all I wanted to say,n by saying that there's my last line! Lol

If you have seen the Japanese movie "Tampopo" (1985) you'll certainly know what I mean by the slur that I put in my summary.While The Ramen Girl has many a good quality, and Brittany Murphy was an excellent choice for the part as Abby, there was still something missing, or how it was stated on her broth, "it is bland".That in itself is not meant negatively. It simply means that there is not a full-fledged soul.There's plenty of meat both on the bone and in the broth, but still there is something missing. A pinch of salt, maybe? A certain lack of understanding for the Japanese culture that only Japanese can understand? This is the secret of the Ramen itself, a search for perfection, and not before the Ramen Grand Master has had his say, there will be acceptance.Go see Tampopo, and you'll know what I mean.