In my opinion, this "re-imagination" was better than the original, which to me was a little too dark and didn't result in a happy ending. The Japanese actors played off each other very well and the chemistry seemed genuine. The music provoked many nostalgic memories of younger days for this 40-something viewer and the scenery was terrific. At the same time, the movie remained true to the original in maintaining several classic scenes, with small twists. The use of "non-actors" in the winery scenes (i.e. people who actually worked there) and certain other areas was also a nice touch. Makes us want to take a little "Sideways" trip ourselves and gain some fresh perspective on our lives. Watched it twice.