Leonie

DON'T BORE HER BY BEING ORDINARY!
3 1/2 stars

Japanese movie spoken mostly in English. This movie employs the life of Leonie Gilmour and her son Isamu Noguchi (the famous sculptor) as a backdrop to convey social and existential issues of the time (beginning of 1900s). It is poetic in both dialog and cinematography at moments. There are some feminist issues projected that shouldn't scare anyone away if other aspects of the movie attract.

Leonie is a bright, educated American woman who agrees to become editor, and ultimately lover, to the Japanese poet Yone Noguchi. She bears his child (Isamu) out of wedlock and follows him to Japan. One can imagine the resulting complications for a smart woman of pre-suffrage United States. The recounting of Leonie's time in Japan serves to amplify those professional, social and romantic conflicts as she deals with the cultural shock of life for women in Japan. She also discovers she is only a mistress as Yone already has a wife. He tells her this is the...

An incredible film filled with stellar performances!
I've enjoyed Emily Mortimer in her other work, but she absolutely shines as Leonie Gilmour! Shid