Stupeur et tremblements (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Alain Corneau

Writers:

Amélie Nothomb (novel)
Alain Corneau (scenario)

Release Date:

12 March 2003 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Toilet Paper | Multinational | Japanese | Window | Toilet

Awards:

5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sylvie Testud	...	Amélie
Kaori Tsuji	...	Fubuki
Taro Suwa	...	Monsieur Saito
Bison Katayama	...	Monsieur Omochi
Yasunari Kondo	...	Monsieur Tenshi
Sokyu Fujita	...	Monsieur Haneda
Gen Shimaoka	...	Monsieur Unaji
Heileigh Gomes	...	Amélie enfant
Eri Sakai	...	Fubuki enfant

Also Known As:

Fear and Trembling (International: English title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

France | Japan

Language:

French | Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:10 | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Kyoto, Japan

Company:

Canal+

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Although the film is set before the outbreak of the first Gulf War, Windows 95 is shown running on computers used by the office staff.

Movie Connections:

Features Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)

Soundtrack:

Goldberg Variations

Great movie about a horrific office situation

This movie is interseting to compare to "lost in translation" that preceded it in Swedish cinemas. Where Lost in Translation details the bewilderment of a casual visitor to Japan, this details the utter difference between Japanese work culture and western.

The focus in the office really works, the movie would have been exhilarating had there been any everyday scenes from outside the office.

The movie manages to engage the viewer, and you really feel sorry for Amelie when she fails to fit in. At times, she seems almost suicidably stupid when it comes to picking up obvious clues about proper behavior from people who want to help her. You would expect that she could behave more intelligently and less emotionally, but she doesn't. A good sign that the movie really does engage -- you care about the character.

Sometimes the movie is hilarious, especially the scolding that Amelie receives from the boss Ochiri.

Never having been to Japan, this movie seems believeable, and I like its focus on the workplace. I actually think you could use it in education to show people how a dysfunctional organization looks (at least from a modern western viewpoint putting a great emphasis on personal initiative and independence). Compared to my real experience from Korea, it also seems reasonable, even though Koreans are more flexible and less condescending towards westerners. I guess Amelie's being a woman did not help either.

OVerall, a movie well worth watching.