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Description

An American slacker (Brittany Murphy, 8 Mile, Girl Interrupted) abandoned by her boyfriend in Tokyo finds her calling in an unlikely place: a local ramen house run by a tyrannical chef who doesn't speak of a word of English. Undaunted by the chef's raging crankiness, Abby convinces him to teach her the art of ramen preparation...and despite hilarious clashes of culture and personality, she learns how to put passion and spirit into her life as well as her cooking.

iTunes Store: Customer Reviews

Just great

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Gauchitos69
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2017-06-16
Just a great movie about crossing crossing cultures unknown to you friendship love respect and of course making the best bowl of ramen.

Love Ramen Girl and love ramen!

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Ben Andrews xxx
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2017-03-08
Watched this movie on a whim one night on Netflix before I'd ever had my first bowl of ramen. Inspired by the movie I tried Ippudo in NYC one day and fell in love! Movie definitely 5 stars for me but knocking off one star bc the iTunes version is EDITED but not marked so, which is disappointing 😑

Some good elements but not coherent.

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sinoscuba
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2013-01-27
I watched this movie after Anthony Bourdain mentioned it in the Hokkaido episode of "No Reservations." The film wants to be "Lost in Translation" meets "Tampopo," but it just isn't.
Not to speak ill of the departed, but one must wonder about why Brittany Murphy has such enormous bags under her eyes throughout the film. Her performance is neither the highlight of her career nor the film. Although these "American makes good in XXX foreign country" usually portrays the foreign country and its people in a poor light, actually, in this case, it's the pathetic American girl who looks ridiculous and the Japanese that look righteous.
On the acting side, the same thing is true. Murphy, the American boyfriend for whom she moves to Tokyo, his friends, including the flamboyant Englishman and Tammy Blanchard as the American hostess/escort, all of them seem out of place and for the most part, pointless. However, the Japanese actors (including a cameo by "Tampopo" star Tsutomu Yamazaki) pull off the gags and the tears, helping to make the last third of the movie quite decent.
The film should have taken its own advice -- instead of trying to be Murphy's Goddess Ramen, a melange of ramen with tomato, corn and peppers, it should have played it straight and stuck to time-honored practices of good acting, directing and writing to create a harmonious story that leaves the viewer satisfied, but wanting even more.

GREAT FILM

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Benjaminb1
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2012-09-18
I was very surprised by this film, it was great!

what a really great movie

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db7chb
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2011-11-27
This movie takes a great part of Japanes Culture and mixes it with great acting and story line. You will enjoy it and even more so, if you like Japanese culture...! Great movie!

HEY! Noodle Head!

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Awe Heal
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2011-10-17
I enjoy movies like this. Quantum physics applied to food preparation. lol. Better movies have been made on this subject, for example, Like Water for Chocolate, Chef of the South Pole, Good Year, A Walk in the Clouds and Simply Irresistable. But the tweak on this movie is the cultural bridge and the adage "Too much head, not enough heart" or Tech vs. Touch. This message alone is worth watching the movie. I would recommend renting prior to buying. That said, the rapport between Sensei and Gakusei, teacher and student, was sorely lacking. This affected the movie significantly. Not enough emphasis was placed on the noodles (ramen) and the love story between random guy who leaves and then comes back seemed disjointed. I wish more people thought about 'the heart' when preparing food. Nice movie to get your feet wet with...

Um..

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Thater
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2011-08-22
Bad just bad.

Perfect.

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BSAAJValentine
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2011-07-06
This movie is brilliant.
I keep seeing a lot of reviews that include the words 'love story.' This love story isn't what you'd expect it to be. Far from it actually. It's a movie about good intentions lost on losers, and finding yourself in the place you least expect to do so. The slacker turns into a passionate young woman set on finding out the final question 'What am I supposed to do?'
It is in a sense like “Lost in Translation” struggling to overcome the obstacle of a backwards language barrier. (Because Japanese is backwards if you're an English speaker.) Not only does she overcome the barriers, but she grows up right in front of you. And they are correct when they tell you, you'll be craving ramen after this movie, so make sure you have a bowl ready to curve that craving right away.
The characters ARE well developed, it's GREAT, and not for a nap.
If you can't handle a FEW subtitles, this movie probably isn't for you. Reading is good for you. =P

havent seen this

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ceylon's finest
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2011-04-15
but it sounds like they tried to adapt tampopo's noodles..., and couldnt get it right...

Loved it

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pio2
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2011-04-08
I saw this awhile back and loved it. I must admit that I had to have Ramen soup for days to come.
Sad that someone so young and talented died so young. It's nice to have her on film so her memory can live on.

Love this movie!

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JessicaArual
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2011-01-20
Brittany Murphy was such a great actress and I really enjoyed this movie!

Not a bad movie

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onetraks
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2010-01-11
It was very cute. I wouldnt expect too many men to like it, unless you are a Britney Murphy fan. I found it to be a different kind of chick flick. I love the relationship with her new bosses. I would recoment you to rent it. I was always a fan of Britney Murphy, she has such a unique personna. She was a great actress, well worth watching this movie.



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LeviChavez91
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2009-12-24
RIP brittany murphey. She looks like Latina Paulina rubio, no? I think she does a bit. Google Paulina rubio

LOVE IT! Better than great!

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ravaMTN7
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2009-12-14
One of my favorite movies! It has a great story line, and you never get bored with it. Funny moments, frustrating moments, and romantic moments. Such a good ending!
Such a great story about sticking to it and not giving up.
Brittany Murphy was great! As she usually is :)
Amazing movie! Good for the whole family.

Beauty and Noodles

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yonagigai
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2009-11-14
The movie was very well done. The Japanese fascination with blondes.. the Western dream that all things Japanese contain the essence of the sublime.. even the consistent and authentic Japanese settings. As a Japanophile, I can be critical of Hollywood's sometimes crass depiction of the Orient. But Ramen girl felt authentic and fun. Great film!

What?

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mønki
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2009-10-22
The movie has a good concept, but everything nice in this movie is overshadowed by the frequently bad lines and Britanny Murphy's whorehouse voice.

Not deep enough to be interesting

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MelC.
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2009-10-15
No real deapth of characters makes this a uninteresting and sad. It doesn't feel real or believeable at any point. The Japanese idea was different to see though as a setting.
Just felt cheap and dull.

Great Movie for Foodies

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Dork Chocolate
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2009-10-06
This is a beautiful love story that takes place in Japan. While there is a little romance for the main character, Abby (American actress Brittany Murphy), the main storyline is about the love the Japanese have for ramen. Out of desperation and loneliness, Abby grabs on to ramen for comfort and slowly begins to understand its place in Japanese culture and how it can help her gain control over her own life.

simply wonderfull

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Georgian(TransCaucasus)
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2009-09-24
It’s a wonderfull wondefull wonderfull film…

Cute.

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janjamm
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2009-09-16
It is so hard to rate a movie that is charming but meaningless. Murphy is everyone's dream of the feckless, directionless, cutie with the big heart. But this role is so cliched it hurts. The story is unbelieveable. The characters are shallow imagings of real people. Both the Americans and the Japanese are presented as cartoonish characters. And, OMG!, what about that HUGE apartment Ms. Murphy lives in. An impossible situation given her circumstances and the housing situation in Tokyo.
Somehow I find it hard to just say the film is stupid. It is. But, there is this little itty-bitty saving quality to it that I can only describe as "non-harming." There is no great harm done. I think that is worth something...a bowl of ramen, maybe.

I like it :D

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Ayperi
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2009-07-22
Yeah in some ways it's a comedy and some not. I for some reason love a movie that has good cooking involved. Though never tried traditional ramen, I would just LOVE to eventually. :D This has got a great story to tell and though not the best movie out there, it's worth it to me to at least see it once, especially if you're at least somewhat a cooking buff ^^ Like one reader says, you'll seriously crave some ramen :D

The Ramen Girl

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taysi
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2009-07-02
I expected to enjoy a light comedy of language and culture clashes. Instead, this fulfilled the worst stereotypes. For example: if you babble loudly and incessantly, you'll be understood. So many scenes too irritating to be funny - such as a day of scullery slavery in high heels? But the thing that bothered me enough to write is that this movie's main premise about the gift of inspired cooking is a TOTAL rip-off from a Penelope Cruz movie - Woman on Top, I think. (The chef's tears in the broth make all the customers weep, etc....)

A very unique and wonderful movie!

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mobiledesigner
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2009-06-21
Wonderful combination of Japanese and American culture using one of the most popular dishes of Japan. It is great to see filmakers stop using stupid stereotypical views from the west (always using samuri and geisha) and use real-life Japan that a lot of Japanese and non-Japanese experience in Japan. Great acting and expressing the thought, emotion, and taste of making and eating ramen. Great opening and ending. Ramen is delicious and a never-ending competitive dish that you can find mostly everywhere in Japan. Not one ramen tastes the same which gives a stronger point from this movie that the taste of ramen depends on the cook's emotion he/she puts into it. A non-Japanese attempting this skill, culturally and skillfully, is more difficult than a Japanese. That is where the comedy comes into play and from one of the most renowned actors in Japan, Toshiyuki Nishida.
Worth the watch.

Ramen is for Restaurants not Theaters

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LilMiller
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2009-06-18
I don't expect much from Murphy these days but this movie is fine. It's just one of those movies that is entertaining at home but would have made me regret paying for a movie ticket.

Decent!

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the_smack_down
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2009-06-15
Ok this movie was cute and had some really good parts, but I agree that the plot was a little underdeveloped. Britney Murphy did a decent job; some parts were a bit over-acted. Although kudos to the ramen chef, he nailed his part!

trite, shallow, poorly acted

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ophiesay
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2009-06-15
This movie is just a mess. The characters are not well developed, the story not explained, ... The cultural, culinary, emotional aspects of this movie are shallow and trite. There is no depth in any part of this movie. The movie's conflicts and humor revolve around a Japanese-English dictionary - completely falls flat and run-of-the-mill.

Very funny and cute~

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Jonomo1
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2009-06-09
I chose this movie because of the interesting concept.. plus my wife likes cheesy romance comedies.. it kind of reminded me of Tampopo, but it's totally different... the humor is very Japanese and the acting by the Japanese cast was great... Britney was very cute as well... good movie, but I don't know if it would be for everyone.. there are subtitles.. so be warned..

a stinker

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FreeRange4
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2009-06-07
with the exception of the japenese Ramen chef, bad acting, bad writing, and bad directing.... this movie is a two thumbs down.

Ramen Girl - Sleeper

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rhawnie1981
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2009-06-05
Rented this movie as it was billed as a comedy. Tried to watch it with the family for a family movie night and fell asleep. This movie has a few comedic points and a few romantic points, but at no time would I have listed this movie as a Comedy. Brittney Murphy is a decent actress, but she does not do a great job as the leading role in this movie. I enjoy the concept, but the entire film needed more to it. Once again NOT A COMEDY!!

a wonderful film

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moviegirl12
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2009-06-05
This is one of the best films I have seen in a long time about finding your life path.

not enough

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cdlns
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2009-06-04
The characters in this movie were never developed enough to make their profoundly life-alterating decisions and cross-cultural jumps believable in the slightest bit. The film just never got below the surface, although the acting and dialogue were not witty enough to carry a lighter movie. The saving grace was that Brittany Murphy is enjoyable to watch, but best to skip this one...unless you need a little nap.

boring

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i have sat on a cornflake
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2009-06-04
it was boring, the story made me fall asleep

A Mix Between "Legally Blonde" and "Lost in Translation"

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jwalk65
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2009-06-03
This is movie is quite interesting in that it tries to be a comedy but it never really reaches that point. It's more or less a coming of age story with a few comedic and romantic elements tossed in. The story itself is engaging, especially if you find Japan interesting, and the ending is overall satisfying. However, this movie is not meant to be seen as serious and it should not be treated as such. It's a light-hearted movie that does not take much for granted.
As mentioned before, this movie will appeal to you greatly if you find Japan at all interesting. The setting, the characters, the shop - it's all accurate of how these things exist in Japan. So if you like Japan as I do, give this a shot!

Not your average love story

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Ruhrboy
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2009-06-02
And excellent film about culture, food, love and people. The best combination of all. Definitely a feel-good movie, but be warned...you will have a severe craving for ramen by the end. It's best to be prepared.