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List Price: $27.98 | | Label: Image Entertainment
Salesrank: 6489
Released: May 26, 2009 |
| Our Price: $7.95 |
| Used Price: $2.39 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
An American slacker (Brittany Murphy, 8 Mile; Girl, Interrupted) abandoned by her boyfriend in Tokyo finds her calling in an unlikely place: a local ramen house run by a tyrannical chef who doesn't speak of a word of English. Undaunted by the chef's raging crankiness, Abby convinces him to teach her the art of ramen preparation...and despite hilarious clashes of culture and personality, she learns how to put passion and spirit into her life as well as her cooking.
Stills from The Ramen Girl (Click for larger image)
The Ramen Girl Reviews:
No awards but worth a watch 
2009-10-08 - Others have provided more in-depth reviews of this movie, The Ramen Girl, so I won't bother trying (not my forte anyhow). I thought it was fun, sweet, moving, a little silly at times, insightful, and just a really good watch. I truly appreciated the lack of four letter words that most movies seem to get more than their share of these days. I did watch the alternate ending in the Special Features too and think the right decision was made to use the one that was included with the movie. I really love watching Brittany Murphy - she's cute, a great funny girl, serious when she needs to be. But even though, here in America at least, she was the most recognizable actor in the film, I thought all of the actors were really good and certainly integral to the film. Brittany blended into a fun cast, and they all shined together. That's my two-cents! I plan to buy this DVD.
feel good chick flick
2009-10-03 - Fun, light hearted movie. I really enjoyed it. I'd say it's more of a feel good chick flick. I enjoyed watching it on my own, without my boyfriend :)
"Teach Me Ramen" ~ The Taste Of Inner Harmony 
2009-09-27 - Synopsis: What's a confused, angst ridden young woman stranded in Tokyo to do with herself? Poor Abby has just been abandoned by her boyfriend and has nowhere to turn. Now alone in a foreign culture where she doesn't speak the language she wanders into a little ramen shop in search of a little nourishment for both body and soul. All appears lost until that first taste of ramen prepared by the abrasive chef Maezumi (Toshiyuki Nishida). Within moments everything has changed and her life's path discovered. And what is that path, ramen. Unfortunately Maezumi has no interest in training a new apprentice, specially a talkative, overzealous American girl who won't take no for an answer. Then of course the fact that neither of them speaks the same language doesn't help matters either.
Will Abby's dream be fulfilled or will Maezumi eventually convince her that she's doesn't possess the inner harmony to fully comprehend the profound nature of ramen. It's a tale of east meets west, male versus female, loss and acceptance, and so much more.
Critique: I was totally surprised that I liked, correction loved this film. Why you might ask? Because I am not a fan of Brittany Murphy (nothing personal Brittany). However the wonderful, unique story-line, the magical atmosphere of the ramen shop and the stellar performances of Toshiyuki and Brittany (YES, Brittany I admit it) kept me entranced from beginning to end. The film is reminiscent of another wonderful film, 'Mistress of Spices.' The similarity is found not in the story-lines but the exotic, mystical atmosphere created for the spice store and ramen shop.
Definitely an enjoyable watch delivering lots of energy, strong humorous elements and a subtle mix of pathos that elevates the film to the status of something more than just a pleasant comedy.
My Rating: - 4 1/2 Stars -
SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH BETTER MOVIE 
2009-09-26 - This film could have been a five star movie if all the great pieces were put together better.
Brittany Murphy as a woman in her 20s trying to find her way in life was a great character. She follows her non-committal boyfriend to Tokyo where he abandons her in a movie that although echoing Lost in Translation, has a better story to tell. As her day job is undemanding (the distrust of western employee work ethic is more brilliantly displayed in Fear and Trembling) and adds to her alienation, the young woman looks for comfort in this extremely busy Ramen Noodle place located across the street. The first time, she is magically drawn to it. The interaction between her, the owners and patrons of this place are the best part of this film.
She decides to become a great Ramen Noodle cook, which is a difficult task to master. The fact that there is a huge language barrier makes it more difficult. The plot of this movie is absorbing and commands the viewers attention.
Somehow, all the great parts (fascinating characters, solid plot, absorbing western meets eastern tale) do not equal a great movie overall. There was something missing from the finished film that crushed my initial high expectations.
Sporadically Engaging Fish-Out-Of-Water Story That Needs a Better Director 
2009-09-19 - My experience tells me that it is not a good sign if a film with a big-name star receives only a limited theatrical release before disappearing without a trace. The star I am talking about is NOT Brittany Murphy - though she is top-billed in "The Ramen Girl" - it is Japanese actor Toshiyuki Nishida. The respected veteran is famous for his hugely successful movie franchise "Tsuribaka Nisshi," but perhaps some might remember him as the "Pigsy" of Japanese TV series "Monkey." Despite his name, the film never received wide theatrical release in Japan. This is quite unusual - imagine a Tom Hanks movie released only in LA and you know what I mean - and the reason is simple. "The Ramen Girl" is not very good.
Brittany Murphy is Abby, who has followed her boyfriend Ethan (Gabriel Mann) from America. Ethan leaves her, however, and shocked Abby is attracted to the bright light nearby her apartment room. It is a small ramen shop run by a headstrong master Maezumi (Nishida), and Abby, looking for a new way of life, decides to work at the shop to learn the art of cooking. Naturally Maezumi refuses, but persistent Abby wouldn't leave and the shop master reluctantly agrees.
Certainly the storyline is forced, but not without potential. I don't think stubborn master like Maezumi, who has been doing his job for more than forty years, would take Abby (or anyone else, American or not) as a pupil so easily, but Nishida is a talented actor, very good at comedy, so the film still had a chance.
Alas, the director never allows him to do what he can do. Not surprisingly, grumpy Maezumi yells at Brittany Murphy's Abby, who is not a fast learner, but the film is no fun to watch as it lacks humor and pathos that this kind of story needs. This is not the wall-painting training of wise Miyagi-san in "The Karate Kid" which has a meaning in it. Maezumi's pointless "training" (like Abby scrubbing a toilet bowl) doesn't convince us.
Abby's character is also a problem. The idea of a broken-hearted American woman who wants to learn ramen cooking is not very credible. Moreover, the film never gives her a real trial. It takes a lot of effort and tenacity to acquire skills of ramen cooking (or any kind of cooking for that matter), but the dialogue-ridden film never gives her a chance to show her cooking prowess. What she has to learn is explained away simply with a word "tamashii" or soul. And a teardrop, too.
"The Ramen Girl" is helmed by Brooklyn-born Emmy-winning director Robert Allan Ackerman, who has also directed plays in Tokyo many times. The film's screenplay is written by Becca Topol, who, according to the film's home page, spent one year in Japan while studying in college. As to the production design of the ramen shop and the owner's house, it is perfect. You can find such small ramen shops around the corner anywhere in Japan.
However, the film, it seems, misses every opportunity to use their knowledge about the country and its culture. Cooking ramen plays a significant role as metaphor in the film, but in "The Ramen Girl" somehow you don't see the details of ramen cooking they should know. How did Abby learn the skills? How did the master teach her?
There is nice supporting acting from Kimiko Yo as Maezumi's wife, and Tsutomu Yamazaki as the grand ramen master (both actors seen in "Departures"), but the lagging pace of the film doesn't change. Subplots about the characters played by Tammy Blanchard and Sohee Park are so weak and forgettable.
The film needs a more capable director and writer, who can create a cinematically dynamic narrative development, or more credible story and characters. This is s huge disappointment for me. "The Ramen Girl" could have been a much more engaging drama with someone else as director. Toshiyuki Nishida, one of the best actors in Japan, deserves a better film than this.
By the way, there is really a "Ramen Museum" in Yokohama.
