Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (2014)

A jaded Japanese woman discovers a hidden copy of Fargo (1996) on VHS, believing it to be a treasure map indicating the location of a large case of money.

Director:

David Zellner

Writers:

David Zellner, Nathan Zellner

Stars:

Rinko Kikuchi, Nobuyuki Katsube, Kanako Higashi

10 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rinko Kikuchi	...	Kumiko
Nobuyuki Katsube	...	Sakagami
Kanako Higashi	...	Michi
Ichi Kyokaku	...	Library Security Guard
Ayaka Ônishi	...	Chieko (Young Office Girl)
Mayuko Kawakita	...	Ms. Kanazaki
Asami Tano	...	Office Lady
Ako Yoshida	...	Office Lady
Anna Wakamori	...	Office Lady
Risa Hotta	...	Office Lady
Hitomi Sawano	...	Office Lady
Maki Issô	...	Office Lady
Ariei Umefune	...	Office Lady
Takao Kinoshita	...	Dry Cleaning Clerk
Tetsuya Hayakawa	...	Dancing Couple

Storyline

A jaded Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried and lost in a fictional film, Fargo, is in fact, real. With a crudely drawn treasure map and limited preparation, she escapes her structured life in Tokyo and embarks on a foolhardy quest across the tundra of Minnesota in search of her mythical fortune.

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Plot Keywords:

treasure | rabbit | language barrier | female protagonist | mental illness | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the film features footage from "Fargo," there is no acknowledgment in the end credits that the clips were licensed from MGM, its current owner, or anyone else.

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Goofs

Earlier in the film, a soapbox speech of an opposition politician is heard about how he is going to stop nuclear plants from operating again. Nuclear power became a major national issue only in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster, and a Tokyo politician would not have spoken about it before.

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Quotes

Kumiko: I only need page 95. It is my destiny.

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Crazy Credits

The credits are almost entirely bilingual in English and Japanese -- even though the movie has never been released in Japan as of early 2016 (either in theaters, media, or internet streaming).

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Connections

References This Is a True Story (2003)

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Soundtracks

I'll Read You A Story
Written by Cécile Schott (SACEM)
Performed by Cécile Schott (as Colleen)
Used courtesy of The Leaf Label
By Arrangement with Woodwork Music, Ltd.

User Reviews

Surreal

An introverted, heavily antisocial woman in Japan sees Fargo, the Coen Brothers film about a couple of gangsters failing at a job, and in the process hiding and losing a briefcase full of money. Fair enough, but the fun and the story start when she becomes fixated on the fact that surely this must be a true story and there's a real treasure somewhere on the side of a North Dakota road just waiting for her.

Kumiko is a bizarre story, as you have probably already surmised. Rinko Kikuchi, most known for Pacific Rim, plays the lead here, and she absolutely sells the character. She is the epitome of a square peck in a round hole and it's at times painful to see her trying to surmount the obstacles of everyday life that we take for granted. And a lot of the mystery of the film comes from wondering how she ended up like this and just how deep her condition goes. There's a very good scene near the beginning where she meets an old friend, who greets her like any other high school friend you have not seen for years, and you realize that surely Kumiko was not always like this. Something happened.

But the real treats start rolling when Kumiko decides to follow her only true passion and buys a plane ticket to America. The rest cannot be really talked about without spoiling the story, but trust me that it's just as surreal as Fargo at its best and, more often than not, even more so.

Plus, the ending, which is just about perfect. The only way this kind of story could really end.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is an experience. Its reach is perhaps greater than its grasp, but it's still a movie I'd definitely recommend for its sheer ambition and uniqueness.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

20 February 2015 (UK)

Also Known As:

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

Filming Locations:

Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$34,114, 22 March 2015

Gross USA:

$623,383

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$739,623

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lila 9th Productions, Ad Hominem Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1