For the audience who have not read the book, this movie could be a satisfying cinematic experience if artsy romance is their cup of tea. For people who have read and liked the book, it is bound to be disappointing, and it is hard to blame them. To be fair, Vietnamese director TRAN Anh Hung who made his mark with his stylish, languid indie "The scent of green papaya" (1993), endorsed by Murakami himself, has delivered some of the moods and emotions of the novel through minimalistic direction, fluid editing, mesmerising cinematography and rich background music (from classic to pop). But so much that is so important in the novel have been left out that what you see on screen is only a small fraction.
Most disappointing is the character Midori. Despite Kiko Mizuhara's good performance, what we see on screen is only a pale shadow of the rich and endearing character. This is not the actress's fault as she has been given little material to work with. The "neighbourhood fire" scene during Watanabe's first visit to his bookstore-cum-home, so vital in cementing her character and their relationship, is completely cut. Similarly, the episode with her dying father in the hospital is so miserably trimmed that the scene amounts to nothing where it should do a lot. Another complete omission is the story of Reiko, which in the book takes up a good part of a long chapter (about one-fourth of the entire length of the book), through a flashback account by the protagonist herself. Without it, her role is much diminished and the meaning of her sexual liaison with Watanabe at the end of the movie is completely lost and even looks ridiculous. I can only find one reason for these huge omissions – yes, I know there is a commercial consideration (a 4-hour movie is not a feasible proposition) but I don't mean that – it is assumed that the majority of the audience have read the book.
Credit should be given when it's due. The roles of both Nagasawa and Hatsumi are well performed, particularly in the confrontational dinner scene. Casting of the main protagonist Watanabe is excellent as Kenichi Matsuyama brings out the charm of this superficially unenthusiastic, layback character. The role of Naoko is probably one that triggers much debate, from what I've read. In that Naoko is the most enigmatic character in this story and therefore subject to different interpretations by different people, it is not surprising. Rinko Kikuchi is acclaimed internationally for her performance in Babel (2006) which made her one of the only eight Asian actors ever nominated for an acting Oscar. My reaction after watching the movie is that she does manage to capture at least part of the Naoko in my mind, but if you ask a hundred people you'll probably get a hundred different answers.
So here's the dilemma. If you haven't read the book, you wouldn't be able to appreciate the movie in a way it is meant to be appreciated. But if you have, you are bound to be disappointed.
Most disappointing is the character Midori. Despite Kiko Mizuhara's good performance, what we see on screen is only a pale shadow of the rich and endearing character. This is not the actress's fault as she has been given little material to work with. The "neighbourhood fire" scene during Watanabe's first visit to his bookstore-cum-home, so vital in cementing her character and their relationship, is completely cut. Similarly, the episode with her dying father in the hospital is so miserably trimmed that the scene amounts to nothing where it should do a lot. Another complete omission is the story of Reiko, which in the book takes up a good part of a long chapter (about one-fourth of the entire length of the book), through a flashback account by the protagonist herself. Without it, her role is much diminished and the meaning of her sexual liaison with Watanabe at the end of the movie is completely lost and even looks ridiculous. I can only find one reason for these huge omissions – yes, I know there is a commercial consideration (a 4-hour movie is not a feasible proposition) but I don't mean that – it is assumed that the majority of the audience have read the book.
Credit should be given when it's due. The roles of both Nagasawa and Hatsumi are well performed, particularly in the confrontational dinner scene. Casting of the main protagonist Watanabe is excellent as Kenichi Matsuyama brings out the charm of this superficially unenthusiastic, layback character. The role of Naoko is probably one that triggers much debate, from what I've read. In that Naoko is the most enigmatic character in this story and therefore subject to different interpretations by different people, it is not surprising. Rinko Kikuchi is acclaimed internationally for her performance in Babel (2006) which made her one of the only eight Asian actors ever nominated for an acting Oscar. My reaction after watching the movie is that she does manage to capture at least part of the Naoko in my mind, but if you ask a hundred people you'll probably get a hundred different answers.
So here's the dilemma. If you haven't read the book, you wouldn't be able to appreciate the movie in a way it is meant to be appreciated. But if you have, you are bound to be disappointed.