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”A bowl of ramen is a self-contained universe with life from the sea, the mountains, and the earth. All existing in perfect harmony. What holds it all together is the broth. The broth gives life to the ramen. Understand?
The winsome Brittany Murphy plays Abby, an adorable blonde who followed her boyfriend Ethan (Gabriel Mann) to Tokyo where he went for a job. Only problem was that she didn’t consult with Ethan in advance and he’s not too keen about her arrival. It doesn’t take him too long to break up with her and move to Kyoto.
Devastated, Abby goes into a ramen (soup) shop just after closing. Despite the language barrier, Abby pours out her heart to the ramen chef, Maezumo (Toshiyuki Nishida) and his wife Reiko (Kimiko Yo). He’s confused and upset but gives her a bowl of ramen to calm her. It works and Abby opens herself to a new opportunity. She wants to learn how to make ramen. Using her very limited Japanese and a translation dictionary, Abby makes it clear to Maezumo that she wants him to teach him.
Maezumo, a hard-drinking, ill-tempered man, is outraged that she’d want to learn –- and that she expects him to teach her. But she persists and after a long spell of scrubbing toilets, washing dishes, and doing other scut jobs, Maezumo slowly begins teaching her the art of ramen making. But he’s never happy with the results and he rages and rants and screams about how stupid she is and how she doesn’t put her heart into the ramen.
In the meantime, Abby and her only friends, actually little more than acquaintances, the gay Charlie (Daniel Evans) and the prostitute Gretchan (Tammy Blanchard), meet a young Asian man who is quite kind to them. Toshi (Sohee Park) had fairly good English skills as he’d attended college in Los Angeles for a year. Even though Toshi is a dreamer with a passion for making music, he’s a “paper pusher” for a Japanese corporation because that is what is expected of him and he must honor tradition.
When Toshi is transferred out of town for a three year stay, Abby is again devastated but sinks herself into working on her ramen-making skills. And getting into Maezumo head to figure out why he is such an angry man.
In the process, Abby learns about the Japanese culture, honor, obligation, humiliation, secrets, spirit, pure love, pain and sadness, and, of course, how to make a perfect bowl of ramen.
Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman.
Run time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rated PG-13.
My personal rating: B
The winsome Brittany Murphy plays Abby, an adorable blonde who followed her boyfriend Ethan (Gabriel Mann) to Tokyo where he went for a job. Only problem was that she didn’t consult with Ethan in advance and he’s not too keen about her arrival. It doesn’t take him too long to break up with her and move to Kyoto.
Devastated, Abby goes into a ramen (soup) shop just after closing. Despite the language barrier, Abby pours out her heart to the ramen chef, Maezumo (Toshiyuki Nishida) and his wife Reiko (Kimiko Yo). He’s confused and upset but gives her a bowl of ramen to calm her. It works and Abby opens herself to a new opportunity. She wants to learn how to make ramen. Using her very limited Japanese and a translation dictionary, Abby makes it clear to Maezumo that she wants him to teach him.
Maezumo, a hard-drinking, ill-tempered man, is outraged that she’d want to learn –- and that she expects him to teach her. But she persists and after a long spell of scrubbing toilets, washing dishes, and doing other scut jobs, Maezumo slowly begins teaching her the art of ramen making. But he’s never happy with the results and he rages and rants and screams about how stupid she is and how she doesn’t put her heart into the ramen.
In the meantime, Abby and her only friends, actually little more than acquaintances, the gay Charlie (Daniel Evans) and the prostitute Gretchan (Tammy Blanchard), meet a young Asian man who is quite kind to them. Toshi (Sohee Park) had fairly good English skills as he’d attended college in Los Angeles for a year. Even though Toshi is a dreamer with a passion for making music, he’s a “paper pusher” for a Japanese corporation because that is what is expected of him and he must honor tradition.
When Toshi is transferred out of town for a three year stay, Abby is again devastated but sinks herself into working on her ramen-making skills. And getting into Maezumo head to figure out why he is such an angry man.
In the process, Abby learns about the Japanese culture, honor, obligation, humiliation, secrets, spirit, pure love, pain and sadness, and, of course, how to make a perfect bowl of ramen.
Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman.
Run time: 1 hour, 42 minutes
Rated PG-13.
My personal rating: B
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