Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

An unlikely mix of true-life tragedy and urban myth inspired this sweet, melancholy comedy, in which the title character, a bored and lonely Japanese office girl (Rinko Kikuchi), becomes obsessed with her VHS copy of the 1996 Coen brothers film Fargo, in particular its final scene. Believing a suitcase full of cash is hidden in the snowy wastes of North Dakota, Kumiko releases her rabbit Bunzo out into the wilds of a city park and sets off for the USA. Though it never descends into slapstick, there are shades of the silent-era greats in Kikuchi's wonderful and largely wordless performance, which echoes the hangdog Buster Keaton more than the pratfalling Chaplin. Her sad but compelling presence brings much-needed pathos to the film's final stretch, a surreal, quirky road trip in which Kumiko seems to be at cross-purposes with everyone she meets - a poignant replaying of the situation she is trying to leave behind at home.