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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Fear and Trembling
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 17 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 13 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Foreign
Written by:
Alain Corneau (scenario)
Amélie Nothomb (novel)
Directed by: Alain Corneau
Release Date:
Theatrical: November 19, 2004
DVD: September 6, 2005
Running Time: 107 minutes, Color
Origin: France / Japan
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Sylvie Testud, Kaori Tsuji, Taro Suwa, Bison Katayama, Yasunari Kondo, Sokyu Fujita, Gen Shimaoka, Heileigh Gomes, and Eri Sakai
Amélie, a dreamy and romantic young Belgian woman, arrives in Japan to begin work as a translator for the giant Yumimoto Corporation. For Amélie, who spent her childhood in Japan, this is a dream come true. But unfamiliar with the customs of the Japanese workplace, she commits a series of cultural missteps and is singled out as a deviant within the company. Unable to stop her downfall, Amélie suddenly stumbles upon her own extraordinary means of liberation. (Cinema Guild Theatrical)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
LA Weekly Scott Foundas
Testud, who learned to speak Japanese phonetically for the role, is nothing short of sublime, her expressive face morphing from tear-stained frustration to slaphappy delirium with the speed of lightning flashing across the Tokyo sky.
Read Full Review >Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
Amelie is utterly charming. And so, too, is the film.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Curt Fields
This quietly odd and hilarious tale is a bit like a Japanese version of the popular BBC comedy series "The Office" or perhaps the "Dilbert" comic strip at its peak.
Read Full Review >Variety Lisa Nesselson
Classy, funny cross-cultural adventure is Alain Corneau's most accomplished and entertaining film since 1991's "Tous les matins du monde."
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
Mr. Corneau, an eclectic director with a mildly perverse sensibility, turns the conflict of cultures into a psychodrama that is at once lighthearted and intense.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson
A feverishly compelling film that doesn't force-feed its ideals to its audience.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
May be a sardonic view of Japanese corporate culture, but that's not all it is. The movie is also subtly sexual and erotic, despite the fact that every scene takes place in the office and there is not a single overt sexual act or word or gesture or reference.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
With the exception of Amelie's voiceover narration in French, Fear and Trembling is entirely in Japanese. And the Japanese cast is superb.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jami Bernard
A marvelous cross between "Secretary" and "Lost in Translation."
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
A sleek and sublimely deadpan comedy of Japanese corporate manners.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
A dark comedy that reveals the stultifying rigidity of Japanese office life - which the film persuasively suggests endures to this day.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
As wonderful as Testud is, her character doesn't make much sense.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Marta Barber
The events in this film take place in the 1980s. Let's hope working conditions in Japan have "westernized."
Read Full Review >Village Voice David Ng
A culture-clash comedy that takes the notion of Japanese otherness to ludicrous extremes.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Val G gave it a10:
This movie is very, very funny if you are familar with Japanese culture ... or if you are aware that differences exist between cultures. The actions of the company employees are not be typical for a Japanese company but it is this extreme protrayal of their actions which keep you laughing at the absurdity. A great companion to Lost in Translation.
jack gave it a3:
The movie has a theme that could be good (cross cultural confusion). It's supposed to be a satire, but the situations are brought to such an extreme that they become silly. One silly and unbelievable episode is piled upon another until it all becomes a tedious ordeal. Why in the world would a cultivated woman allow herself to be put into such demeaning and embarrassing positions rather than just quit the damn job? What's so funny about humiliation. Is this really supposed to be a study in masochism?
Claudiaw V. gave it a10:
I think this movie is absolutely amazing, not only for the entertainment value but also from the lesson that can be learned from it. Sometimes being yourself can cause problems in unfamiliar territory.
Peter Q. gave it a10:
A funny, endearing, intelligent movie! Don't miss it.
T S gave it a3:
Too weird and unbelievable to be funny. The jokes (if any) were strained and directed to an audience that knew nothng about Japan, but felt they did on pretense. Sylvie Testud did a decent job on the language!
