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Norwegian Wood (2010)
Original title Noruwei No Mori
Director Tran Anh Hung
It's been dubbed the Japanese 'Catcher In The Rye' and now, Haruki Murakami's classic novel is a sumptuously-filmed feature from Tran Anh Hung. Perfectly capturing the nostalgic, languid sensuality of the story, Hung brings the book to life in an emotional and devastatingly beautiful piece of cinema. It's 1969 and Toru Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) is a 19-year-old student in Tokyo, besotted by Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi), a beautiful and introspective young woman. But their mutual passion is complicated by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Watanabe lives with the influence of death everywhere, while Naoko feels as if some integral part of her has been permanently lost. It is at that time Midori (Kiko Mizuhara), a girl who is everything that Naoko is not - outgoing, vivacious, supremely self-confident - marches into Watanabe's life and he has to choose between his future and his past. - Dubai International Film Festival 2010
Country Japan
Year 2010
Running Time 133m
Certificate
Director's Biography
Tran Anh Hung was born in Seno, Laos. He studied at the École Louis Lumière in France, where he made two short films: La femme mariée de Nam Xuong (87) and La pierre de l’attente (91). He was awarded the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, The Scent of Green Papaya (93). His other films include Cyclo (95), The Vertical Ray of the Sun (00), I Come with the Rain (09) and Norwegian Wood (10).
Quotes
- Letting his camera linger on the uncertainties of subtext and innuendo, Tran distills the idiosyncrasies of different personalities and the intimacies that can flourish between two people. As the two lovers caught up in the intoxicating richness of the era, Matsuyama and Kikuchi deliver arresting performances, striking exactly the right chord between vulnerability and conviction and creating characters that are flawed, stubborn, guileless and, ultimately, powerful. A bittersweet tale full of beauty and pathos, Norwegian Wood illuminates the uncertain passage from innocence to maturity. - Giovanna Fulvi / Toronto International Film Festival 2010