With Fear and Trembling

"Amelie, a Japanese-born Belgian, returns to the East after a decade and a half's absence, employed as a translator by an oriental mega-corporation. Her first job is in 'The noble art of making tea'. Her second, a brief stint in passing out post, is cut short since the mailman nearly has a breakdown, believing he's been fired. Amelie is repremanded for taking initiative. Her third task is keeping the calendars up to date. It only goes down (and down) from there."

The movie is an exact replica of the novel, an easy read of a few hours, at the longest, a few days.

With 90% of the text in Japanese, it's expected that this movie (from a french novel) will be subtitled in english and in other languages, as its theme, cultural gaps in working relationships (in this case between the East and the West) is a universal one.

This story, autobiographic as it may, makes you wonder whether Amelie Nothomb allowed herself to be treated this way in order to better write it later.... or if she wrote about it to overcome the trauma. An entertaining movie that will make you think.

Official Websites:
En francais
In English

The Beaver

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