
Piercing
We’ve read the book1 so now onto the film version. Right out of the gate, where the book is Japanese, this is an American film with American (and Australian…) people in it. Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska star.
The setting is sort of other-worldly though and somehow does mimic the Japanese vibe of the book pretty well. There’s a sort of mid-century stylishness to it that’s quite appealing, especially as we get to Jackie’s super cool apartment. I also liked the outdoor stuff, which looked like old fashioned painted sets on a sound stage.
What lets it down a little is the script, which seriously short-shrifts Jackie’s character. Where in the book we’re allowed the same level of insight into her head as Kawashima, here it’s weighted heavily to his perspective and I’m not sure it’d entirely make sense had I not just read the novel.