I happened across this film on the 'World Movies' channel, coincidentally the day after I read Murakami's story (in 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Women'). I really liked the story. So much so that after the first half-hour of the film, I was reading it again, trying to use the book to block out the TV screen. What is the point of this movie? Wait, movie? It isn't really a movie at all, if your requirements for movies go beyond 'being on film'. This is a children's picture-book version of the story. This is the movie's process: Recite the story, almost verbatim, and play tracking shots ad nauseum over the monologue, showing banal instances of what the monologue is saying. Tony and the girl move in together? Lets show her pouring milk! Wife obsessed with clothes? Lets show her wearing clothes! Hell, lets show her, in consecutive tracking shots, wearing SEVERAL DIFFERENT outfits! That'll really drive the point home, that she's a clothes addict. Oh, and don't forget to have a lonely, melancholy piano constantly playing behind the monologue. Because everything's GOT TO BE MELANCHOLY! AND LONELY! God knows we've got no possible other way to convey that, besides the monologue. What do you think we are, filmmakers?!
However, I have advice for the director: Go back to 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman', and try to adapt 'A Poor Aunt Story'. If you can manage to do that one in the same way you did this one, I'll chain myself to the Eureka Tower, and refuse to come down until you've won the Golden Palm. I have advice for potential viewers, too: The story is just over 20 pages long. You can read it in a quarter of the time it would take to watch this slide-show/movie. And it's even got some humour in it, too. Not everything has to be MELANCHOLY.
However, I have advice for the director: Go back to 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman', and try to adapt 'A Poor Aunt Story'. If you can manage to do that one in the same way you did this one, I'll chain myself to the Eureka Tower, and refuse to come down until you've won the Golden Palm. I have advice for potential viewers, too: The story is just over 20 pages long. You can read it in a quarter of the time it would take to watch this slide-show/movie. And it's even got some humour in it, too. Not everything has to be MELANCHOLY.