White on Rice (2009)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

While I will be the first to admit that "White on Rice" didn't always work, the overall picture is so fresh and quirky that I still recommend it. It's a film from David Boyle--a writer/director/actor who totally captivated me and my wife when we recently saw his "Big Dreams Little Tokyo". Using the barest of budgets, Boyle has managed to once again make a film with characters you just have to love--very, very quirky ones at that.Jimmy is a pathetic Japanese divorcée who has left his country and moved in with his sister's family in the States. Jimmy is nearing 40 and has little to show for himself--not much of a job, no love life and he sleeps in the top bunk of his nephew's bunk-bed! However, when his brother-in-law's niece moves in temporarily, the dopey Jimmy is totally infatuated and soon behaves like an even bigger dope. At times, he is a little creepy--like a stalker--and I wish the film had not made him quite so extreme and creepy here. But, just when it seems to have gone over the top, it fortunately finds its way.Throughout the story, there are LOTS of wonderful characters. The nephew, Bob, is great. So is the Banana Lady and many other folks scattered throughout the film. This is DEFINITELY a film for those who like independent cinema and want a film totally un-Hollywood in style. Well worth seeing despite a few lulls.By the way, that's the director, David Boyle, inside the coffin in the funeral home segment! He's the second body you see and you have to look close for him in his trademark geek glasses. This is a WONDERFUL touch for his fans--as is seeing a poster for "White on Rice" in his previous film, "Big Dreams Little Tokyo"! Cute.

The basic story line in this film is pretty straightforward. But it contains enough crazy jokes and visual gags that it doesn't seem overly simple. I'm pretty sure this movie is about the universal theme of: that one creepy uncle that everyone seems to have. He's usually a little pervy. He's a burden on the rest of the family, asking for all kinds of special favors—mostly because he never seems to be very firmly employed. And, Hajime (or Jimmy, as he likes to be called now that he's living in America) is rocking all of these personality traits. He's currently living with big-sis (sharing a bunk bed in her little son's bedroom, to be exact). She took him in because she saw that after his divorce, her little brother couldn't quite manage to keep himself reliably fed and sheltered. To make matters even more complicated, now Jimmy has taken to ogling his brother-in-law's attractive college-aged niece, Ramona. And he's not subtle with his affections either—busting into her bedroom, reading her diary, and loitering outside her college classes. (Hey, it's not gross if they're not related by blood, right?) What a gem. But his little, genius nephew, Bob, is there to make sure Jimmy doesn't get into too much trouble.This crazy guy has been trying his luck on the dating scene, but has had little success. Somehow, the ladies seem able to resist the charms of this prize of a man. Although, as far as creepy uncles go, Jimmy's not actually all that threatening. He doesn't mean any harm. He's mostly just mind-blowingly dense. This isn't just your everyday, run-of-the-mill dysfunction. It's bang-your-head-against-the-wall, Jesus-face-palm level failure. You'd like to be able to write of Jimmy's antics as merely cultural misunderstanding (he's a new arrival from Japan). But, I think that'd be a little insulting to all the other recent immigrants out there. I mean, big-sis and brother-in-law are also relatively recent transplants, yet they manage to hold things together pretty well. The overall tone of this film is goofy. The synopsis may make the story sound a little creepy and stalkerish, but I assure you that it's a straight-up comedy. Just when you think Hajime has finally outdone himself, he goes and finds an even more outrageous way to make a fool of himself (and thoroughly embarrass everyone within ear-shot). That's a special talent. His family keeps trying to help him get back on his feet (and out of their home), but he keeps finding even more spectacular ways of screwing everything up. But it's not too painful or cringe-worthy to watch. Ultimately, Jimmy is lovable, so we can understand why everyone just wants to help him out. He's got to get it right one of these days, right?

This movie is very funny. It started out a little slow, and the humor sometimes depends on awkwardness (which isn't my favorite type, but if you like the Office it will probably appeal to you more), but there were a lot of great one-liners that I'll probably remember and quote for a long time. The acting was very good, especially the nephew (I believe the character's name was Bob?) who was wonderfully deadpan. It's kind of like a Japanese Napoleon Dynamite, with a touch of The Office mixed in, but endearing in its own way. I would definitely recommend it to just about anyone. (Warning: there is a fair amount of comedic blood in two scenes, so if you're queasy about that look away during the obvious scenes)

I took a co-worker, who had never heard of the movie or anyone in it. I heard about the movie on my local morning radio station - the main radio star (Jimmy Chunga) is in the movie (albeit a bit part). I had no idea what to expect and was absolutely delighted that it was quirky, silly, ridiculous, campy and everything else I loved about Napoleon Dynamite, except this time set in Salt Lake City (unnamed in the movie) and featuring the clash of culture between Japanese-Americans and Japanese- socially-challenged-folk. It is not for wee ones, but there's nothing overly offensive in the movie. Funny thing: by the end of the movie, I actually cared about the main characters, and couldn't help but think how clever the writers were keeping the characters internally consistent in their interactions. I just couldn't stop laughing during the movie - or long afterwords as my co-worker and I relived our favorite moments.