Brother Rintaro Sakamoto and sister Atsuko Sakamoto are driving to San Francisco on a family mission. Their car breaks down and they are stranded in Littlerock, California. Rintaro speaks some English and admires Americana. Atsuko doesn't speak any English at all. Rintaro is drawn to a loud party in their motel and the siblings befriend Cory Lawler. At an another party, Jordan moves in on Atsuko and Cory pushes his way as a third wheel on their bicycle date. Atsuko secretly sleeps with Jordan and decides to stay with Cory when Rintaro leaves. She starts working at Cory's father's restaurant. Francisco Fumero is the Spanish speaking cook. Language difficulty is a constant. Cory owes money to some thugs and he wants to borrow money from his father to take off to L.A.
Atsuko has a minimalist style of acting. With no English, she has a mysterious presence. It's kind of a reversed Lost in Translation indie. Cory has a creepy pathetic vibe. I would love Cory to completely deteriorate and confront Jordan. I would love for the story to pick up some dramatic speed. Instead it takes lyrical turns. It culminates in a phone call between Atsuko and Cory where neither understands the other. It's a bit poetic but it's not really climatic. The story feels truncated and the movie is a bit short. I also would like Atsuko to throw a rock through Jordan's window.
