Sinner

Norwegian Wood really is a dreadful story, burdened with an unheroic protagonist and packed with characters who self-destruct for no readily apparent reason.

This movie is faithful to the book, which I think is its greatest strength and greatest weakness. Strength, because I think it is the passion for the book which drives the great performances, fiery direction and courageous editing. Weakness, because, well, it's a dreadful story.

If there was a compelling story here, it would be a masterpiece. As it is, we are just left with some crackling scenes, beautiful cinematography and stunning performances. For me, the small part played by Eriko Hatsune really stood out as an absolutely tone perfect depiction of devastating restraint.

Of course, the lead part played by Kenichi Matsuyama is the foundation of the film. As his fame and popularity grows, it becomes all the more remarkable to see him put his body and soul into depicting a flawed character like this.

Some people have complained that Japanese people don't talk and act like this. Well, it's true, they don't, not in mainstream Japanese movies. It's hard to overstate what a brave work this is.

The book "Norwegian Wood" left me with a bitter aftertaste of unresolved plot threads. The movie left me with a gentle glow of pleasure at having witnessed such great artistry. That is why I rate it highly.

If you've spent much time chatting on the Internet, you've probably had a conversation along these lines at some point: "They should make a movie like this!" "Naah... who wants to see a movie about a bunch of people sitting at computers typing?" Densha Otoko finally answers that question, and does it in superb style. By use of split-screen, and computer text overlaid on real environments, it makes the online chats visually interesting and fast-paced.

But this isn't just some technical storytelling exercise. At its heart, it's a funny and charming romance. Unlike just about every other "naive protagonist gets dating advice" movie, this one is astonishingly pure-hearted.

On consideration, I dropped it a point because I felt the character of the love-interest was under-developed. Her role in the romance never quite got fully believable. As even the minor characters are properly developed, perhaps she was intentionally left as a mysterious figure.

I really hope this gets a wider audience outside Japan. This is a wonderful, wonderful film, but the central role played by typed Japanese text is going to be a barrier to international audiences. Perhaps the best we can hope for is a competent Hollywood remake. Please, no Jennifer Lopez.

A lot of people hate this movie because it is so completely ridiculous. But I think it's superb. It must have taken some kind of genius to get the Hollywood system to churn out such a bizarre movie. It goes beyond self-referential... in the movie FBI agent Karen Sympathy breaks into a Hollywood studio to get the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie given the greenlight and it really feels like someone must have hacked Hollywood to get untold millions of dollars directed into this bizarre satire.

A few cautionary notes: real hardcore R&B fans will hate this, as it doesn't take it at all seriously. If you need to suspend disbelief to enjoy a movie this is not the one for you. And make sure your face is moisturised, because you'll probably be cringing most of the way through. Much of the greatness of this movie is derived from how very obviously bad it is.