TAMPOPO  3.3***

     Tampopo is a rare thing indeed: a film with a brain, a heart - and a stomach! A Truck driver Goro , who reminds you of a cowboy, and his colleague Gun stumble across a sleepy noodle bar, Lai Lai, while out working one evening. Lai Lai's proprietor is the widowed Tampopo, for whom times are currently very hard. She's not helped by the fact that, frankly, her noodle soup (ramen) isn't so good. Goro tells her this after a fight with the drunk Pisken, one of her regulars. So, in the spirit of the famous cowboy” Shane”, Goro decides (with the help of some friends) to help Tampopo make the perfect noodle soup.

This is the main thread of the story, but weaved in amongst it are a succession of scenes that show the role of food in Japanese society. Each focuses briefly on  the connection of food to sensuality, youthful folly, animals, teeth, family, friends, class, death and homelessness. Standout scenes include ordering lunch in a French restaurant by a group of Japanese businessmen (only one of whom can read French); a teacher at a finishing school trying to show a group of young women how to eat spaghetti quietly ; a family eating the last meal made by their dying mother, not to mention the infamous scene with a gangster, his gal and a raw egg yolk (not to mention crayfish!).

Each interlude is insightful in some way about the role of food in Japanese life. In fact the film as a whole tells us a lot about the Japanese character, not just how it connects with food.

The ending is probably predictable: Tampopo's revamped restaurant  becomes a resounding success, but in all honesty, just like life itself, the journey along the way is the most  interesting and enjoyable part. And of course, Goro does what all good cowboy heroes do; rides off into the sunset before the end titles, where a nursing mother gives her baby the most simple and pure food of all.

If you are interested in Japanese culture and you appreciate food in the least, you owe it to yourself to track  this down (Netflix or some other streaming channel) and watch it, especially if you like a good bowl of ramen! I’ve never tried it but plan to after seeing this movie.

UNBREAKABLE  3.2***

     Unbreakable centers around two characters: David Dunn (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price (Samuel L Jackson). David (Willis) is at a low point in his life. His wife has recently left him and taken his son, he has a poor job, and appears to be quite lonely. But then he is involved in a horrific train crash where, beyond all odds he is, out of 132 passengers and crew, the only survivor and, even more amazingly, walks away without a scratch. It is an unbelievable event. He is then pursued by Elijah( S. Jackson) who suffers from a bone disease  whereby his bones are very brittle and easily breakable. He tells David that there is something special about him, that he has special powers and in a sense is “unbreakable’. David is  trying to take all this in while also trying to re-establish relations with his son and wife.

Who would like this movie? This is a little like Sixth Sense in that it has some supernatural overtones but does not involve ghosts or dead people. There is a heavy comic book feel to it, which is intentional, but it isn't like X-Men or similar comic book movies except in a very subtle way. Overall the movie is quite low key and slow with very little action but an intelligent plot.  

I enjoyed this movie. I had seen it once before and it gets better with a second viewing. Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson are exceptional and it is well directed.  The plot is reasonably clever, perhaps a little labored, but I guess this is necessary for a “Hollywood” film..  

Rated PG-13 for mature  elements including some violent content and some offensive language.

RED SPARROW  2.3***

John Le Carre type spy stories/movies  such as Tinker, Tailor, Sailor, Spy ( obtuse, confusing and emotionless ) then you’ll like Red Sparrow; If you like Jennifer Lawrence ( which I do and was the primary reason I went) and she gives a good performance, then you’ll like Red Sparrow; if you want to pay $10 for a nap in a dark cool place with soothing music ( very good soundtrack by James Newton Howard), then you’ll like Red Sparrow.

Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika a former Russian ballerina who is thrown into the world of espionage by her uncle after she sustains a career-ending injury. She becomes a Sparrow, a spy who has been extensively trained to use her sexuality to get top secret information . Her first assignment is to use her sexuality  against an American CIA operative. She meets him and  they develop a friendship  but we’re never quite sure if they trust each other  Along the way she begins  to question where her loyalties lie…. whether to stay Russian or become a counter-spy for the Americans.  

The film offers a lot of style more so than substance. Its shot well and the film locations adds to the style of the film. Lawrence's attempt at a Russian accent is wonky and  not easy to get used to. However, she's good in this movie . The film is long, maybe a little two long but I thought it was interesting enough. The film also shows brutal torture and violence and some sexual scenes that could make some people uncomfortable.  

I’m not a John Le Carre fan and since this movie is of that obtuse style I did not really enjoy it despite the effort put into it by the filmmakers and J. Lawrence. I was unmoved and also left the theater with a slight headache from trying to keep up with all the twists & turns i.e trying to figure out what the heck was going on !! .

Rated R for strong violence, torture, sexual content, language and some graphic nudity