Picture Bride (Kayo Hatta)

Rating: 2.0

It's earnest.  It's moving.  It's picturesque.  It's based on a true 
story.  Just try to keep your eyes open.  (Tip: ponder the question of 
how Youki Kudoh, so remarkable in Jim Jarmusch's MYSTERY TRAIN, could 
play such a lifeless, listless character here.  Is this an indication of 
Jarmusch's and Hatta's comparative skill with actors, or merely 
illustrative of the difference between an inventive, original script and 
a staid, conventional one?  Or both?  Bring a flashlight and write a 
2000-word essay on the subject.  Bonus points awarded for a convincing 
explanation of what the hell Toshiro Mifune is doing in the film.)