I have to agree with some other reviewers, there are continuity errors which make the film even more unbelievable than it is, great NZ scenery and cinematography, and also it does resemble "Japanese Story" in many ways (not sure which came first, I think Perfect Strangers may have).
Having said that, I liked it a lot, Rachel Blake is great, Sam Neill is always engaging, but it is a bit too far fetched or too muddled a storyline, which (along with the continuity errors) makes it difficult to 'suspend disbelief'.
One of the aspects I most liked was the 'mainland' sequences with the girlfriends, it was a shame they were so brief, there was a lot to like in those scenes. Well worth seeing, and it does stay with you, possibly because it's a puzzle of a film, whether that is intentional or not is the question.
Having said that, I liked it a lot, Rachel Blake is great, Sam Neill is always engaging, but it is a bit too far fetched or too muddled a storyline, which (along with the continuity errors) makes it difficult to 'suspend disbelief'.
One of the aspects I most liked was the 'mainland' sequences with the girlfriends, it was a shame they were so brief, there was a lot to like in those scenes. Well worth seeing, and it does stay with you, possibly because it's a puzzle of a film, whether that is intentional or not is the question.