But things have been quiet since. Shooting began long ago and, I presume, wrapped a good while back as well but the film has been kept well out of the public eye. No more! Wild Grounds has just unearthed an extensive collection of stills from the picture and they deliver just what I'd hoped for.
"I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me."
The melancholy tune and sentiment of this classic Beatles song seems to have taken the life of Toru Watanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama), who is similarly uncertain as to how he should view his relationships. At heart, a quiet and serious young Tokyo college student in 1969, Watanabe, is deeply devoted to his first love, Naoko (Rinko Kikuchi), a beautiful and introspective young woman. But their mutual passion is made 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. On the night of Naoko's 20th birthday, they finally made love to each other. However, shortly thereafter Naoko decided to quit college and become a recluse. 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.
Yes. Definite yes. Can't wait.
See, at one point I would have squealed like a little girl, but that was before I saw I Come with the Rain and now I just don't know any more. I practically worship Murakami, though, so I'll more than likely give it a shot regardless.
I think Murakami suits Tran better than a big action thriller does, though.
love them stills :)
These look right and absolutely feel right. Ken'ichi Matsuyama is a great casting choice. Really looking forward to this. Although, Norwegian Wood isn't not my favourite Murakami, I prefer the less straight forward novels.
"the only previous Murakami to make it to the big screen being based on a short story."
'hear the wind sing' (kazuki omori, 1980)
trailer viewable here:
http://wildgrounds.com/index.php/2008/11/17/trailer-hear-the-wind-sing-1980-kazuki-omari/