Stuart M
A lot of the detail that's in the book is missing in this movie. You're better to read the book.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/21/24
Full Review
Bob F
I don't know that everyone will "get it". Young people are stupid and act on impulse because they are immature. What you do affects people you love, and people you don't even know. This is a "growing up" movie. It deals with suicide, which will put people off. It also deals with casual sex and its effects, and most importantly, love.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
08/16/23
Full Review
Bill D
I had high hopes for this film.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
08/21/24
Full Review
isla s
This is, in a way, a pretty frank film about sex, well, adolescents talking about it, moreso than lots of explicit sex scenes but I wouldn't say this is the most comfortable film to watch in front of your parents, put it that way!. It features some nice cinematography, scenic shots in rural and costal areas, which I liked. The dialogue shows how curious and perhaps naive the main female character (Naoko) is, which perhaps tells you all you need to know. There is something a bit touching about it, in a good way but it didn't entirely sit well with me overall, due to the bleaker elements present in the plot I suppose. I think its made clear that the female character has more to lose from investing in her relationship. I assume the presence of snow in some scenes is meant to symbolise the characters innocence/youth/purity(?). I appreciate that the narration is off hand written letters, so thoughts and emotions are laid bare. I also thought the musical score was quite good towards the end - its somewhat evocative.
Some scenes feature little in the way of dialogue - the dialogue being quite sparse but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I wasn't so keen on this film overall - it does a decent job at highlighting some cultural issues perhaps but its not one of my favourite Japanese films, though its still a reasonable film, for what it is. I imagine an adolescent audience may enjoy it more than someone 20 years older, such as myself(!) (as of 2022, in my later 30s).
Overall I wouldn't expressly recommend this film as such, no. It is perhaps thoughtful and perhaps there's a poignancy to it at times but its also somewhat tacky and like I say, didn't sit entirely well with me, so it's not one I'd entirely recommend.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
isaac m
Norwegian Wood is an interesting take of Haruki Murakami's 1987 novel. I really enjoy the performances of Rinko Kikuchi, Kiko Mizuhara, Kenichi Matsuyama and Reika Kirishima. I also like the direction, production design and score. However, the script hasn't been faithful towards the novel. Overall, Norwegian Wood is a romantic drama cult classic that illustrates sexuality, loss and life.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
dave s
Based on the Haruki Murakami novel, Norwegian Wood follows the story of a young man whose love is divided between a depression prone friend and a free-spirited fellow student. Filled with meditations on life, love, and death, the film features beautiful cinematography and nicely understated performances from the three lead characters. Norwegian Wood, in many respects, looks and feels like a Terrence Malick film. If you see Malick, post 1997, as a cinematic genius, you will love Norwegian Wood. If you see Malick, post 1997, as a pretentious bore, you will probably hate Norwegian Wood.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
Full Review
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