They say it’s the new Pretty Woman. The Japanese film from Netflix became a hit in Poland

In 1990, Garry Marshall’s bittersweet comedy “Pretty Woman” became one of the most famous films, for which Julia Roberts, who played the lead role, was awarded a Golden Globe. The heroine, initially employed as an escort by a businessman, changes her current life with the help of the feelings that arise between them. Viewers were blown away by Vivian’s honesty and her inner and outer transformation. The Japanese director based his story on similar motives in his new film from 2023.

Fix yourself by fixing others

Although more than 30 years have passed since the premiere of “Pretty Woman”, similar stories still move moviegoers. Valuable debuts today take place not only in cinemas, but also on streaming platforms – this was the case with the continuation of “Knives Out”, “Glass Onion”, promoted by Netflix. Now another proposal of the service, “Call me Chihiro”, is gaining popularity, which is the responsibility of Rikiya Imaizumi. The 42-year-old filmmaker has directed several productions since 2010, including an adaptation of the novel “Just Only Love” or an independent production promoting one of the Korean boy bands “Their Distance”.

The film came to be compared to Marshall’s blockbuster because of the main character’s past, who was also a sex worker. However, she decided to fight for a better tomorrow and start her shifts by working at a takeaway stand in a seaside town. However, it is not the romance that changes her perception of the world – the place is visited by elderly and lonely people for whom the girl becomes a support. The film, like several others from the director’s catalogue, is based on the motifs of the manga – “Chihiro-san”.

“Meandering Thoughts of Loneliness”

The moving story attracted a large audience not only in its native Japan, but also in Poland. The production is one of the most popular among the Netflix catalog in our country. It also receives critical acclaim around the world.

Perhaps the main character’s approach has something to do with geisha culture, which seems to be based on something more than sexual attractiveness. Japanese society is more hierarchical than in other developed countries, and family ties are stronger, but they suffer from loneliness, and this video shows how some of them try to cope (or fail) without falling into pessimism.

– writes one of the reviewers of IMDb services.

The film is a light drama with a delicate dose of emotion, which is a meandering meditation on loneliness. If this was an American movie, Chihiro would be dying of cancer and not telling anyone. But it’s a Japanese movie that requires some patience because it’s about mood more than anything else.

– this is the opinion of critic John Serba from Decider. Although the production reached the top ten of the most popular Netflix titles in Poland four days after its premiere, Poles, however, judge it more harshly – on the Filmweb website it was awarded a rating of 6.4/10.

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It stars Japanese Academy Award winner Kasumi Arimura, as well as Hana Toyoshima and Tetta Shimada. The film can be watched on Netflix from February 23, 2023.