Cross-Cultural Comedy ‘Oh Lucy!’ at Nuart

Koji Yakusho, Josh Harnett and Shinobu Terajima in a scene from “Oh Lucy!”

Atsuko Hirayanagi’s “Oh Lucy!” will be shown from Friday, March 2, to Thursday, March 8, at the Nuart Theatre, 11272 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Los Angeles.

Setsuko (Shinobu Terajima) is a lonely, chain-smoking, past-her-prime office worker in Tokyo. When her fun-loving 20-year-old niece Mika (Shioli Katsuna) browbeats her into enrolling in an unorthodox English class, she meets a handsome young American instructor, John (Josh Hartnett), who tries to break through Japanese formality by hugging his students. He requires her to wear a curly blonde wig and take on an American alter ego named “Lucy.”

Setsuko finds her new identity liberating, and quickly develops romantic feelings for John — to the degree that when he suddenly disappears without explanation she wants to track him down. Setsuko enlists the help of her grouchy sister Ayako (Kaho Minami), and the pair fly halfway across the world to Southern California in pursuit. In a brave new world of tattoo parlors and seedy motels, family ties and past lives are tested as Setsuko struggles to preserve the dream and promise of “Lucy.”

With Koji Yakusho. Recalling the culture-clash charm of “Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter,” “Oh Lucy!” is funny but dark, with a gem of a performance by Terajima. Co-written by Hirayanagi in her directorial debut.

Josh Hartnett, Kaho Minami and Shinobu Terajima in a scene from “Oh Lucy!”

Showtimes:

March 2 — 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

March 3 — 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:45, 9:45 p.m.

March 4 — 1, 3:20, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

March 5 to 8 — 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

There will be Q&A with Hirayanagi and Terajima after the 5:20 p.m. show on March 3, and with Hirayanagi after the 1 p.m. show on March 4.

Not rated. Partially subtitled. To see a trailer and for ticket information, go to: www.landmarktheatres.com/los-angeles/nuart-theatre/film-info/oh-lucy