Remake?

What I fear is that they will not remake the movie. They will remake Saturday Night Fever, or Dirty Dancing, or a host of other movies where instead of finding a quiet place to be happy an entire life change occurs. A wonderful and powerful contest victory instead of a quiet dance on an empty floor. And a romance when the man should be seeking a little more from his life, not love, just a way to get out and express himself.

WHY WHY WHY WHY.... BAD CASTING... NO HOPE FOR HOLLYWOOD OR J-LO

HAHAHA

I have been a fan of the Japanese version of this film for many years and own the VHS version of it. I believe that using Jennifer Lopez will do nothing but destroy the whole feeling that this movie is based on. Sure she may be able to dance, but she cannot portray the smoothness and allure that Tamiyo Kusakari brought to the original. I have talked about this choice of actors with other fans of the original, and several agree that Jennifer Love Hewlett would have played the part more in its intended form. (She played Audry Hepburn so well!) Many could see Richard Gere as being able to pull off an accurate portrayal of the role as intended and played by Koji Yakusho. Although Richard Gere wouldn't be their first choice either. And Susan Sarandon??? Hopefully as the wife which I think she will be able to pulloff, but I (we) can't see her in the role of the rude female dancer as played by Reiko Kusamura, Hopefully that isn't the role she is playing.

I will NOT pay to see this movie with this cast in it. Also if Miramax Film Studio's is listening.. I won't even buy this when it is released on DVD unless you also release it with the original Japanese version included, (I've been waiting for 3 years for the original's DVD release). It's a shame that some Miramax studio head thought that by using Jennifer Lopez and an old script, he could turn a buck, when all he's doing is turning out another crappy remake of what once was a beautiful movie!

Update (2015/11/24): Well I did finally break down and purchase both the Japanese version on DVD as soon as it came out as well as the "Westernized" version with Gere/Lopez after I was able to find it at Target in the $5. clearance area, oh.. Several years ago now... I watch both at least every 6 months.

I still maintain that the Gere/Lopez version is not now or ever will be as good as the Japanese version, but is tolerable... barely.. Jennifer Lopez just did nothing to bring the grace and allure to the role that Tamiyo Kusakari brought to the original version, and was just unbelievable and not in the good way.. more of reciting lines than acting. Richard Gere is just acceptable, which I feel wasn't his acting as much as the script and direction. I would go as far as saying that he was too smooth, polished and emotionless in his performance, where Koji Yakusho was able to give the viewer the reasonable amount of aloofness and nervousness needed to pull off his role which required someone nervous about dancing. And all the other actors.. Namely Stanley Tucci (Whom I usually like his acting style) and Lisa Ann Walter did nothing to support the movie and I consider nothing more than "placeholders" in the script. (Sorry Mr. Tucci) and in fact, The way that Lisa Ann Walter played her role was just awkward to just outright weird and for me and almost made me turn it off due to over-acting. Stanley Tucci's acting was too plastic much as one would expect from an old comedy.. Kind of prat-fall-ish, almost Buster Keaton-ish .. if that is an acceptable description. And much like Jennifer Lopez, seemed to be just reciting lines instead of acting. Stanley Tucci's only shining moment was when he grabbed a co-worker and spun her in the office. Again, I must fault the Director for the overall failure of this movie.. Giving the fault 70% direction, 30% poor choice of actors.

I still maintain that it should never have been remade. at least not at the time that it was.. With these actors.. And definitely NOT with this director! Maybe in another 20 years or so, Hollywood can look at a remake again,(Assuming that there is still a "Hollywood" and the whole movie industry hasn't been bought and moved to China) but I still have doubts if it will ever be as good as the first (Japanese) version. If you can tolerate it, bypass the western version and see the Japanese version.. You will need to read subtitles, but I believe it is still preferable to the remake.

The reason why the acress in the Japanese version is "demure", is probably because she was not really an actress at that point. Tamiyo Kusakari, an established ballerina, was just making her first appearance in films. She later recalls she didn't know how to "act" at all during the shooting of this movie. She was told to be more natural than to act anything.

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The remake was simply a star vehicle for both Jennifer Lopez and Richard Gere.It never gave justice to the original film. J.Lo was definitely a miscast.

Well, if the Americans got a Japanese actress, the audience probably wouldn't be able to understand her due to her speaking in Japanese or speaking English with a heavy Japanese accent!

"check the imdb cast list before asking who portrayed who in movies please"

It's interesting reading the reactions of fans of the Japanese version when the American version was in the works.

I saw the Japanese version first, and absolutely loved it. Others are right about the story working better in the first one, because of the cultural bias against dancing and dancers. That was an integral part of the story and gave it a great deal of its charm and pathos.

But I also liked the American version. I thought Gere and Lopez did admirable jobs, and I loved the tango scene. I like the Japanese version best, but the American was good too. Just very different.