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KAMOME DINER (2006)
Directed by Naoko Ogigami
Starring: Satomi Kobayashi, Masako Motai, Hairi Katagiri, Tarja Markus, Jarkko Niemi
Watson Scale rating (0 being worst and 6 being perfect): 5.8
Reviewed by Jeremy Silman
Though I review lots of samurai films where violence is a natural part
of the proceedings, I admit to enjoying just about everything if it's
done well. A great love story can make one retch at the overabundance
of syrup, or weep at the emotions bubbling up so vividly on screen. A
martial arts film can feature great acting, pulse pounding action,
and/or a look into the lives and desires of those that devote
themselves to combat, or it can bore us with "fighters" that have no
skills at all and no script to keep them afloat. We have all marveled
at spectacular special effects that turn the realm of the imagination
into visual reality, and at comedies that leave us rolling on the floor
with laughter.
As wonderful as films like these can be (but rarely are), by far the
most gratifying to watch is one about things that seem small and
perhaps unimportant to most, but magically envelopes us with the
realization that the actors in the film are quietly sharing feelings,
goals, and tribulations that are part of all of our lives.
This review is about this last kind of film, and its intricacy and
bubbling purity make KAMOME DINER (Kamome shokudo in Japanese, which
translates to Seagull Diner, and Ruokala Lokki in Finnish) nothing less
than astonishing.
KAMOME DINER centers around a 38-year-old Japanese woman named Sachie
(splendidly played by Satomi Kobayashi) who opens a small Japanese
diner in Helsinki, Finland. Though her establishment is sparkling clean
and nicely located, the locals don't quite know what to make of it -- a
month goes by and not one customer has dared to open the door! This doesn't mean that
people don't look in. One of the movies many subdued but effective
comedic moments occurs when three elderly, rather large, Finish ladies
peer through the window and, spotting the diminutive Sachie, wonder
aloud whether she's an adult or a child. And when Sachie smiles at
them, the women rush away, all atwitter.
Of course, other characters soon appear to add their own layers to the
innocent goings on. First we get Tommi (Jarkko Niemi), a young man who
is trying to learn to speak Japanese. Due to a rather funny question
posed by Tommi, an odd Japanese lady name Midori (Hairi Katagiri)
enters the picture. How does a Japanese end up in Helsinki? In Midori's
case, she closed her eyes and pointed to a world map. Perhaps I should
give this technique a try next time I decide to go somewhere.
A while later another Japanese lady, Masako, played by Masako Motai)
appears, stuck in Helsinki when her luggage went missing. Masako is my
favorite character, though everyone in this film is quirky and
fascinating. Trapped in servitude via her obligation to care for her
sick and elderly parents, their deaths have freed her to search for
some kind of meaning in her life. These three women, all strangers in a
strange land, bond in service to each other and the diner.
As one might guess, the little eatery ultimately turns into the toast
of the town. But the movie isn't about success or failure. It's
about a sense of community (in this case the mergence of various
Finnish eccentrics and the Japanese women), the creation of family (the
coming together of the three women), and every person's very personal
inner journey of self-discovery.
Made with a very low budget and brought to public attention by word of
mouth instead of the usual glitzy ads and posters, KAMOME DINER is a
quiet film filled with humor, depth, cultural metaphors (both Finnish
and Japanese), and more than a little mystery. Much like the diner that
was avoided but eventually enjoyed success, the movie itself opened to
little or no fanfare but soon enjoyed the adoration of film aficionados
worldwide.
Quiet little KAMOME DINER certainly won me over. Give it a chance and it will win you over too.
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