Review of The Ramen Girl (2008) by Jay K — 18 Oct 2011

"He'll taste the girl's broth and he'll give her his blessing.".

There's a touch of the Karate Kids about The Ramen Girl, undeniably Brittany Murphy's best noodle-themed movie. Murphy plays Abby, an american ditched by her self-absorbed boyfriend shortly after arriving in Tokyo and left to fend for herself. This involves walking around in the rain, crying a lot and then deciding she wants to cook Ramen. The Japanese owner of the restuarant she walks into (the superb Toshiyuki Nishida) has his own baggage and the two begin a love/hate journey to noodly goodness. The film is so full of heart and good intentions that it's hard to say anything cynical about it. A winner.