maripagliero "Good bye".....and the life is gone.In the case of Setsuko, in her mind it already had....and then John. Because she felt passed by, Johns teaching techniques created a sense of warmth to a lost soul and Setsuko's emotions flirted with love masqueraded by lust of a meaningful life.The script and direction were exquisite as was the acting performances. None could be faulted.The only reason I am not giving 10/10 is because there were a couple of goofs but I am a nerd so I am always hunting for faults.This is a wonderful example of beautiful cinema. GO SEE IT!!

dokrauss This is a tragedy that you do not know is a tragedy until it's about 3/4 of the way through. Up until then, you think it's a comedy of errors. It's not. Heartbreaking and very well done.

MartinHafer "Oh Lucy!" seemed like a quirky comedy during the first half or so of the picture. The beginning, in particular, seemed very strange and quirky. However, this is NOT the mood of the entire picture and the cute leading character progressively becomes uglier as the story progresses.When the story begins, Setsuko is conned into buying an English language course off her niece. The niece says she paid for it but it would be a big favor if the aunt paid her for the classes and took them herself. And, considering Setsuko is single and hasn't much of a life, she decides to at least try the classes. She is shocked at what the classes were. Instead of a nice classroom, the place looked like a sex club and the instructor, John, was more about teaching the students how to not only sound American but ACT American. His class included hugging (something VERY foreign to Japanese society), wearing wigs and acting casual...and Setsuko liked this as well as her new American name, Lucy.Soon, however, Lucy learns it's been a set-up. Her niece only wanted the money to run off to America with John...and the new teacher is too normal and doesn't give hugs. So, she does what anyone would do in this situation...she insults her coworkers and gets a plane ticket to America. When her nasty sister finds out, she insists she comes along. What's next? Well it's NOT what I expected as the cute Lucy reveals herself to be a selfish, nasty piece of work. In fact, most everyone in the film seems this way-- at least all the main characters. All semblance to a comedy disappears and what you're left with is the story of a woman you find almost impossible to like. This is a case where the first half and second half of the film don't watch up and the whole is unfortunately not especially satisfying as a result.

Raven-1969 Tokyo train station, overcast skies and a shout of "good bye" as a man jumps on the tracks in front of a train. Setsuko witnesses the suicide on the way to the office and her dull routine. She is middle-aged, lonely and unhappy. Perhaps she could snap like this. When Setsuko receives an invitation from her niece Mika to attend advanced English lessons, the classes provide unexpected light and warmth in her life. John, the foreign teacher, loosens Setsuko up with hugs, humor, role-play and a new nickname; Lucy. However, just as suddenly as John releases Setsuko from her funk, he disappears. Setsuko goes in search of him across an ocean, and goes even farther within herself.Combining humor with seriousness and sincerity, the film reveals the wonders of what travel can do. It takes us outside ourselves and reveals truths that would not have been revealed if we stayed in our bubbles. It shows us our strengths and weaknesses, the good and bad. The film also shows that the difference between Japan and America goes beyond language. The Japanese are generally not as outgoing as Americans. There is not much in the way of touching or hugs. The Japanese are good at wearing masks. People like Setsuko go unnoticed and suicide is a big problem. It is wonderful that the director is giving a voice to those like Setsuko. While the transitions between scenes are a little funky and the story could use development in places, it is a charming and interesting story. The actors are experienced and adept at their roles. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.