The Ramen Girl was released in 2008, starring Brittany Murphy. The cover, perhaps, tells an even better premise than the trailer. On it, you’ll see Brittany looking like a Japanese Barbie, wrapped in a red kimono. Her hands are in prayer position just under her mouth, which is heavily lined with red lipstick. The tagline: “Her romance is on pins and noodles.” Yes, pins and noodles…
I first saw this movie in a Food & Film class in college. It was among other movies that I really enjoyed like Tampopo and Goodfellas. So despite the cover, I had high-ish hopes. But it turns out the movie is a real clunker, even if you’re ramen-obsessed like me. But the subtitles are funny—and if you’re sitting at home on a rainy summer night, eating some ramen and looking for a movie to watch (and a laugh), this is fun throwback. And if you don’t feel like renting it on Amazon, below is my summary (with commentary).
•The movie opens in a Japanese subway car—which is way less crowded then it should be—and a little boy hands Brittany Murphy (her name in the movie is Abby) back the cover to her lipstick. She seems extremely grateful.
•Then we find Brittany in a club in Tokyo. Her Carrie Bradshaw gold dress and platinum hair really stand out here. She’s heading to meet her boyfriend, who we can tell already, is a jerk. But it’s okay because she meets a pimp and a prostitute and they seem pretty cool.
•In the morning, her American boyfriend decides that her moving to Japan (just for him) was a bad idea. He gets in a cab and leaves her standing on the street…in a towel. It’s unclear who will be paying the rent going forward.
•The next night it’s freezing and raining and Brittany goes into a ramen shop across the street. The shop owner says it’s closed but once she starts crying, he tells her to sit down. He fixes her a bowl of ramen with spinach because “Americans love Popeye.”
•Now she’s sobbing and complaining to a Japanese couple who cannot understand her. “She’s a lunatic,” they say, but they tell her to eat anyway.
•She eats! And her tears are gone. Is she cured? Is she hallucinating? Because that plastic cat on the wall just waved at her.
•Back at work as a copywriter for a law firm, Brittany red pens a sign from “Do not flash toilet” to “Do not flush toilet.” Apparently this is copywriting in Japan.
•For dinner, it’s ramen again. Maezumi, the shop owner and ramen expert, cooks in slow motion as Brittany notes the care he puts into the cooking process. Now she and another guy are in a tizzy laughing. I guess ramen is hilarious!
•The next night, Brittany has another ramen craving, but this time Maezumi’s wife has hurt her foot. Brittany tells her to sit down and she starts serving.
