I really liked this movie. Some of it was hard to watch because of the subject matter. But I thought they dealt with those situations quite well. The story is told in a series of interactions. The mystery of each character was dangled before us until it was revealed. That technique worked well for me. It is amazing what caring Christian people will do when they're confronted with their hatred and racism. The film clips of the Japanese attacks on Nanking were very hard to watch. Today they would never be shown on the TV. Sure the film was formulaic and dealt with stereotypes, but I really liked it anyway. The ending was a pleasant surprise. I may not watch the movie a second time, but at least I enjoyed the time I did.

This was a sweet love story, although it left me longing for more background, clarification and character development. The flashbacks were not enough. Why does Sophie live alone? What happened to her parents? How old was she? Answers to these questions would have made her character much more interesting. Would have loved to know more about Mr. Ota and his family background as well, besides the fact that they grew apples! I think this story could have been so much richer had the screenwriter delved deeper into these characters' lives. The movie was touching and interesting and the chemistry between Ota and Sophie was good. But the whole film seemed too superficial. It did touch accurately on the attitude of Americans toward the Japanese Americans during WW2. However, I think in typical Hollywood fashion, it put people of faith in an unfair and negative light. Not all southern churchgoers were cruel toward minorities, but it did happen. I think my favorite character was the maid. She had a confident pride, but also could feel empathy toward Mr. Ota as a black woman in the south. She knew what it was like to be outcast for her skin color. It was such a poignant moment in the film when is the one to wash off the words "dirty Jap" from the wall. She knew his pain.

This movie was a lovely story but I feel it could have been so much more had we really known the characters and what their backstories were.

Some disbelief is welcome in a good film, in fact it can be an essential part. Unfortunately there is far too much here. I admit to not have read the book this is based on so don't know whether to blame the book or film. This is especially true of both the beginning and ending. The ending, an internment camp for Japanese, is something that really existed but I never heard of anyone going voluntarily.

Other than these plot flaws I would have rated this more highly.