100 Baltimore Sun | Michael Sragow The glory of Japanese Story is that even after a daringly abrupt plot turn, the cast maintains its empathy and lucidity without interruption. Read full review
88 Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea Plays with cultural stereotypes, and upends them as well. The picture starts as one thing and turns, dramatically, movingly, into something else. Read full review
88 Chicago Tribune | Michael Wilmington A movie with surprises, some of which you should discover for yourself. But its main surprises may be the power of Collette's performance and the beautifully controlled mood and atmosphere Brooks creates. Read full review
88 Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert Gradually the full arc of Toni Collette's performance reveals itself, and we see that the end was there even in the beginning. This is that rare sort of film that is not about what happens, but about what happens then. Read full review