Review of Norwegian Wood (2010) by Mason B — 06 Aug 2014

I really wanted to love this movie; I really wanted to like it a lot more than I did. There are elements of this film that I think are brilliant, profound, and heartbreaking, and yet there are several factors that keep this film from being truely great.

Norweigian wood is the tale of a boy and a girl who share a tragic past whom meet up again and quickly fall in love. The film examines subjects such as love, sex, and grief, and there are big emotions to be had through the exploration.

But I don't think the film is nearly as insightful into these subjects as it thinks it is or wants to be. The same could be said of the characters. Norwegian Wood in very well acted all-around, and the actors give real feeling to their romance, but the film often fails to fully develop its characters and their relationships.

Instead of building the relationship between the two leads, the film just tosses them together. It never lets us get to know who these people are, and I often felt that I wanted to know more about them than I did.

As a result we are only barely invested in the two leads based on the actor's performances, which is not enough. Overall the film is beautiful shot and has a poignant and moving story, but it's many flaws keep it a good film when it deserved to be a great one.