The Ramen Girl |  | Director: Robert Allan Ackerman
Actors: Brittany Murphy, Toshiyuki Nishida, Tammy Blanchard, Kosei Asami, Gabriel Mann
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $9.09
as of 2/10/2010 06:40 EST details
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New (35) Used (13) Collectible (1) from $4.49
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Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 4157
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.4
MPN: MEE6084DVD
UPC: 014381608427
EAN: 0014381608427
ASIN: B001RTKKRQ
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: May 26, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 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 |
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Product Description
AN AMERICAN WOMAN IS STRANDED IN TOKYO AFTER BREAKING UP WITH HER BOYFRIEND. SEARCHING FOR DIRECTION IN LIFE, SHE TRAINS TO BE A RAMEN CHEF UNDER A TYRANNICAL JAPANESE MASTER.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 26
"A bowl of ramen is a self-contained universe" February 1, 2010
z hayes (plano,texas)
The late Brittany Murphy shines in this heartwarming movie about self-discovery. Abby (Murphy) moves to Japan to be with her boyfriend but when she gets dumped, she finds herself in a fix. Unwilling to return to the States, thinking she still has a chance to make it up with her BF, Abby finds a new purpose in the ramen place across the street from her apartment. One rainy night, a despondent Abby wanders into the ramen shop after closing, and starts weeping. The chef Maezumi (Toshiyuki Nishida) and his wife are puzzled as they can't speak English and Abby can't converse in Japanese, so they offer some ramen to comfort her. It does that and more - inspired by the wonderful taste of the ramen, Abby is seized by a sudden desire to learn how to cook ramen, and like an annoying gnat, keeps harassing the chef until he finally takes her on as his apprentice - but not without giving her a really hard time (Abby's initial duties include cleaning the kitchen and the dirty toilets as well as waiting on tables).
The heated exchanges between Abby and Maezumi make for great entertainment- Maezumi as played by Nishida is an irascible taskmaster, who hides a lot of pain beneath his prickly demeanor. Abby, portrayed brilliantly by Murphy, is an initially naive, lost soul trying to find a purpose in life, and struggles to adapt to a foreign environment - not speaking Japanese doesn't help either. There is also a cast of secondary characters, such as the American woman who works as a call girl/mistress, the handsome, young Japanese executive who forms a relationship with Abby, the chef's wife, and a few eccentric regulars at the ramen place. The story does not get overly sappy, and the story, though predictable, is not without a couple of twists. The story might not be original, but it certainly is well-cast and the leads make this an engaging watch. I took away one star because I felt some of the secondary characters deserved more development, e.g. the call girl/mistress who just disappears half-way through the movie. On the whole, this is an interesting, and uplifting drama about searching for one's path in life, and showcases Brittany Murphy's acting talents to good effect. The movie is in both Japanese and English, with a lot of Japanese dialogue accompanied by English subtitles. Also recommended for those who'd like to watch another ramen-themed movie is Tampopo, a highly-entertaining movie.
 Heart warming January 24, 2010
Curtis R. Gasser Jr. (Euclid,Ohio)
I always liked Brttany Murphy. She puts on an outstanding performance in this one.
Ramen Girl I love this movie! January 21, 2010
Denise Bishop (Sasebo, Japan)
As and American after living in Japan for almost 4 years and opening my own restaurant there I can totally relate to this movie. It is very realistic and true to life if an American would cook ramen in Japan. The personalities of the shop owners are portrayed to the "T" The humor is true to life as well. You don't need to have lived in Japan to understand and appreciate that their culture is not unlike this movie portrays. The wife wanting to become close to Abbey and siding with her and the shop owner and his tough exterior, drinking habits and loathe of Abbey in the beginning shows that most older Japanese men truely do not show their emotions and are very guarded with them as well as their secrets. Once you get to know the charactors and understand them the appreciation for this movie grows by leaps and bounds. Even in this day and age to befriend a Japanese national you must prove yourself to the fullest extent humanly possible and once you have broken the ice you have a friend/family for a lifetime. This movie depicts this very clearly and shows both sides of what it is like to be an American in Japan as well as being Japanese and having foreigners living among you.
 "Somewhere along the way I just forgot what I wanted to do with my life..." January 17, 2010
Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood)
The late Brittany Murphy stars in the charming culture-clash romantic comedy of THE RAMEN GIRL (2008). After relocating to Japan and being dumped by her boyfriend, Abby (Murphy) drowns her sorrows at a local Ramen shop. Delighted by the traditional dish of noodles, vegetables and pork, Abby resolves to learn how to cook the meal herself...triggering an hilarious battle of wills with her reluctant "sensei" (Toshiyuki Nishida) in the process!
Beautifully filmed on location in Japan, THE RAMEN GIRL is an adorable movie and Ms Murphy does a lovely job in the lead. On the downside, Becca Topol's screenplay is rather disjointed, peppered with too many characters who start off strong but seem to go nowhere (Tammy Blanchard as Gretchan, Daniel Evans as Tom, etc.).
Purely for fans of the late great Brittany Murphy, this will always be a must-see, but I'd love for this forgotten film to find an even larger audience. It deserves to.
Kool Movie November 22, 2009
P. Gipson (Troy, MI, USA)
I really enjoyed this movie. Gives you a good look a Japanese culture and how difficult it is for an outsider to fit in overseas. Brittany Murphy's character feels like an outcast at work, especially after her boyfriend leaves her. Only when she visits a local ramen shop does she discover something she enjoyes doing, despite her tyrannical teacher's dislike for her. Her persistence pays off over the course of the movie, as the other characters begin to appreciate her.
Murphy's acting is a little so-so in parts, and the romantic subplot is cliche and predictable, but this is a great movie anyway. Brittany's cuteness alone make her endearing, and you end up wanting her to succeed. Recommended to anyone.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 26
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