Oh
Lucy
Japanese
actress Shinobu Terajima and American actor Josh Harnett star in a cross
cultural contemporary story involving three women from Japan and an American
from Los Angeles called oddly “Oh Lucy”.
Early
in the film we see a woman named Setsuko who is a public employee living an
ordinary life in Tokyo. She is a single, emotionally unfulfilled woman, seemingly
stuck with a drab, meaningless life. At least until on one random day when she is
convinced by her beautiful niece Mika to enroll in an unorthodox English speaking
class that requires her to wear a blonde wig each session and to take on an
American alter ego named "Lucy." Reluctant to take the class Setsuko
eventually agrees and when she arrives after work meets the handsome American
who teaches the class. His offbeat warm approach to teaching “American English”
gives Setsuko a new sense of an identity. It awakens something dormant in her
that she feels is something in the way of developing romantic feelings for her
American instructor, John (Josh Hartnett).
One
day when arriving for her class she is informed the Instructor had left and the
company would be looking for a new instructor leaving Setsuko very emotional distraught.
But what she soon discovers later is that her niece and John were secretly
dating and that they have moved together back to Los Angeles to be married.
Determined
to find out why all of this happened Setsuko enlists the help of her sister,
Ayako (Mika’s Mother) and the pair fly halfway across the world to the outskirts
of Southern California in search of the runaway couple. In a brave new world of
tattoo parlors, fast food burger places and seedy motels, family ties and past
lives are immediately tested as Setsuko struggles to preserve the dream and
promise of the feelings she got when John use to call her "Lucy."
REVIEW: Filmed
in equal parts subtitles and English “Oh Lucy” is marketed as being a Drama – Comedy.
What it was for me was something uniquely funny, sometimes sad, equal parts lovable,
spontaneously sexy and other times just an offbeat crazy and quirky film that worked for me from beginning to
it end. In fact I found this small slice of life movie one of the more
enjoyable viewing experiences for 2018.
With
a running time of 1:30 minutes “Oh Lucy” gradually and pleasantly moves over your
attentive consciousness like someone slowly placing a warm blanket to cover you
a few inches at a time. Filled with some genuine moments along the way that were both intense
and surprisingly fun this film kept me guessing and off guard as to what would
happen next. But the real strength of the story is the acting of Shinobu
Terajima. You are able to feel her every emotion and mood to such great effect
that you begin to empathize with how her miscommunication from learning a new language
and her miscommunication of having a life devoid of real love - an emotional connection with someone, can both sometimes land you in an intimate rough spot of personal confusion and miscalculations.
A
straight to On Demand movie and Executive Produced by Will Ferrell, “Oh Lucy”
while a bit idiosyncratic with moments of melancholy is still a very moving story
with lots of human charm. An abundantly sweet
and sentimental story that will remind you what it’s like simply to being human
with someone you love and loves you back . And whether you are Japanese or American in both our human beginning and our human ending we all share a basic need to be bonded with someone or something. "Oh Lucy" bonded with me very, very well.
3.50
Stars
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