Book to Movie Review: Never Let Me Go

One of my favorite 2010 reads was Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go (click here for the review). It is a strange, wonderful story of a world which does not care for its inhabitants and how the power or love and friendship may or may not win in the end.

The movie adaptation of the novel stars three of the most perspective young actors - Carey Mulligan (Oscar-nominated for An Education), Keira Knightley (Oscar-nominated for Pride & Prejudice) and Andrew Garfield. They play Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, respectively. The three have grown up in a boarding school named Hailsham and, having recently graduated, are thrown in the outside world to fend for themselves. I do not want to give too much away - but Hailsham, as well as the world in the story, may not be at all as it seems and once the three reach this conclusion, they only have each other for support.

Much of my excitement prior to seeing this movie was the cast - namely, Keira Knightley. One of my favorite actresses, she is given the most colorful role in the movie. A part of a love triangle, she embodies the conflicting feelings of competitiveness and vulnerability perfectly, and particularly shines in a scene where she is finally confronted with the reality of her situation. Mulligan and Garfield are just as competent and have remarkable chemistry, which helps the movie immensely. Throw in competent direction and beautiful cinematography and you cannot go wrong with this one.

It is difficult to write about Never Let Me Go without giving anything away. Yet, I cannot recommend this movie enough. My DVD copy will surely be played a great number of times as this wonderful, warm story is slowly becoming one of my all-time favorites. Ishiguro should be really proud.

RATING: 5/5

BEWARE: The trailer contains spoilers!

Book to Movie Review: Coraline

I am so late for the party when it comes to Coraline. As I am not a big fan of animated flicks (I wait for a rather special one to come out and then possibly see it, rather than go see every Pixar/Dreamworks animation at the movies), so it wasn't until last night that I've seen this stop-motion movie. My animation-obsessed boyfriend practically tied me down in front of the TV and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Thus, the review.

Coraline was originally a book by Neil Gaiman. A dark, sinister horror book for children, which gave me the creeps when I was in elementary school. Obviously, I cannot remember the details anymore, but I know that it was well-written, scary and intense, and I loved it. Coraline is a lonely girl, moving to a new house with her detached parents, only to find out a secret door to the parallel universe where everything is peachy, apart from the fact that on the other side, people have buttons instead of eyes. And if Caroline should stay, she needs some buttons as well.

First of all, the stop-motion animation in itself is not enough for me to go, "ZOMFGBBQ". I enjoyed the animation, though I thought that it was a bit patchy at times and also lingered on big scenes, which constantly screwed up the flow of the movie. You know, there is something fabulous Coraline walks into and the next five minutes is a repetition of what you have already seen. This is a small bone to pick, however. The scenes all look wonderful and I bet watching Coraline in 3-D must have been a thrill.

My favorite part of the movie were the voice talents. Coraline is voiced by the freakishly talented Dakota Fanning, who provides lots of character and spunk. The two aged actresses are hilariously voiced by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, the brilliant British comedic duo. And finally, there is the award-deserving voice performance by Teri Hatcher, who I adore, as Coraline's mother/parallel mother/villain. Hatcher made the movie for me and I can only imagine how kids might be frightened by her character(s).

All in all, Coraline is a fabulous way to spend an hour and a half, especially if you are constantly nagged to watch animated flicks (you can do WAY worse, trust me). This one caters to the adult set, maybe even more than to the kids. It's deliciously creepy and exciting, but is innocent enough for kids to watch it.

RATING: 4/5

Book to Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One

Yesterday, I got this amazing opportunity to attend the press screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am a movie and theatre reviewer for a local website and my editor was so anxious for me to go, then come back and write my review. And now that I've done it, I wanted to share some of the excitement with you - in advance of the big premiere tomorrow. Don't worry, no spoilers here.

The first thing that comes to mind is how truthful to the book this movie is. It almost reminds me of The Philosopher's Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, which were almost annoyingly by-the-book. I guess splitting the book into two movies allows for more details to be shown. However, I am not completely satisfied with the splitting - it leaves us without a proper ending of Part One and although the movie is more than exciting, the final product has absolutely no resolution. Although the final scene is art in itself, it seems almost arbitrary, as it could have happened anytime in the past two and a half hours. Not to mention, there are seemingly endless scene that could easily have been cut.

I was really happy that the movie was not released in 3D. I believe 3D just keeps reminding you you're at the movies and that you're supposed to scream and laugh (kind of like a theme park). And trust me, although the action sequences are jaw-dropping, this movie is much too poignant and emotional to be seen as light entertainment. Unfortunately, Part Two will be released in 3D, which I hope will not interfere with the movie's emotional tone. And here's a big surprise: there's an animated bit in the movie. Now, I'm not going to tell you what, but it is beautiful and creative and I was really happy (although shocked at first).

The actors are all amazing, of course, but no one more than Emma Watson, who's really grown into a strong actress. The opening scene of the movie is all about her, as Hermione casts Obliviate on her parents, and it instantly got me to start crying. Rupert Grint is fun as usual, though he does get a dramatic moment or two. Daniel Radcliffe is also good, though the weakest of the three. Anyway, Part Two will be his chance to shine. There is also a (surprisingly graphic) nude scene involving two of the main characters, though that's another surprise I won't ruin. And don't worry, it's all in good taste.

All in all, though not my favorite movie of the bunch, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a fabulous piece of movie-making and a satisfying beginning of the end of my childhood. Make sure you bring tissues, as well as a friend to clutch to when things get especially tough. That Nagini sure gave me a heart attack!

RATING: 4/5

Book to Movie Review: New Moon

If you remember my review on the Twilight saga's second installment, New Moon, then you may expect how I felt before seeing this movie. I expected a disaster, of course, but some small part of me actually hoped that it was either Robert Pattinson or Catherine Hardwicke, who added much needed depth to the first movie adaptation, would save this one.

Unfortunately, Robbie is gone for the majority of the movie, and the movie itself is directed by probably my most loathed director, Chris Weitz. Mr. Weitz is responsible for his adaptation of Philip Pullman's epic book Northern Lights (aka The Golden Compass in America), the result of which was a complete travesty. Here, he manages to not only disregard the fact that the paper thin story of New Moon could be improved greatly on screen, but he completely runs the film into the ground.

As for the (non-existent) plot: Edward is no longer the cool, smart vamp-boy he was in the first installment - rather, he is an immature wuss. After he leaves Bella with a ridiculous excuse (and after we see she is stupid enough to buy it), Bella gets friendly with the young, steroid-popping Native American. His name is Jacob and he is a werewolf. He also supplies Bella with means of getting into situations of mortal danger, 'cause that's when visions of Edward start happening. Nothing much happens for a really long time, until Bella finally goes to Italy (?!), gets to meet a far superior actress in the form of Dakota Fanning and kinda save Edward's life (what happened there is still a bit unclear to me). That's it, folks.

Let's get done with the good points already, so I can keep on trashing this film as much as it deserves. Robert Pattinson really is a good actor. Ashley Greene (who plays Alice) is really kinda cool. OK, I'm done.

When it comes to the bad stuff, special effects are really substandard. It's hard to believe that New Moon came out in 2009. The visions Bella has of Edward are best described as holograms and the werewolves are probably the worst CGI creatures I have seen lately. After finally getting an appropriate idea of what a werewolf should look like in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it's sad to see we're back at the start.

I am sure people who loved the book will love this film, but seriously, it might be damaging to one's IQ. Hardwicke's version of Twilight was all about subtlety, sneaking up on the viewer and tapping into his long-forgotten ideas of innocence and romance. Here, no reference is uttered less than three times, so the silly audience can get it (Romeo & Juliet, anyone?). Unlike Twilight, New Moon taps into a viewer's love for cineplexes. I'm actually surprised it's not in 3D.

RATING: 2/5

Book to Movie Review: Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Two installments of the hilarious Georgia Nicolson book series, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers, have now been adapted into a movie starring a bunch of unknown British actors, and a relatively funny cat. The good news? Although it's flawed, the movie couldn't really be deemed bad. The bad news (and something most book bloggers are generally interested in) is that it doesn't come within a mile of the books' spirit, humor and heart.

The protagonist is Georgia Nicolson (Georgia Groome), a 14-year-old girl with serious self-esteem issues. Her nose is the size of Jupiter, her parents are annoying... You get the idea. Her best friend is Jas (played by the charismatic Eleanor Tomlinson), with whom Georgia thinks up a genius plan on how to seduce the two new boys in school, played by two anonymous hotties. Of course, the plan backfires, and Georgie has to learn the lesson of... Boring.

The biggest problem with the film is the way they dumbed down (and sexed-down) the books so it could appeal to the tween crowd, at once evident from the title. You know you're in for a problem when you see the Nickelodeon logo at the beginning of the film. These characters are the High School Musical version of the original characters, and it just doesn't work.

That said, the movie is rather enjoyable once you forget about your expectations. There is a cutesy feeling going through the entire movie, and some of the performances are very naturalistic and measured. My favorite, however, was Angus, who may not deserve a pussy-flick of his own just yet, but who definitely shined in this one. Not a perfect adaptation, but not as horrible a disappointment as The Golden Compass was, this one's a good rental.

RATING: 3/5

Book to Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I know I am probably very, very late to participate in praising of the newest Harry Potter installment. The reason is that the biggest cinemas in my town had closed down about a year ago, due to renovation. Needless to say, I was completely depressed this summer when Half-Blood Prince came out, since I had nowhere to watch it. Yesterday, my mom (who by the way is another Potterhead) tells me that a small art cinema is playing the movie. It is totally unlike them to play such a commercial flick, but hey, it was good enough for me!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a complete triumph from start to finish. I am now certain that a Harry Potter movie can't miss the mark - sure, they've experimented with different visual styles and direction, but every single one of these movies I've loved. With the sixth, based on probably the most depressing book in the series, they have taken most liberty with. Scenes are added, certain things are omitted, but it works thanks to the talented people involved. For example, a lot of the movie revolves around Ron and Hermione's flirtatious behavior, and those scenes really showcase the talents of the young actors, who are obviously having a lot of fun in the roles, but never fall into farce. The same goes for the adults, most notably Michael Gambon in the role of Dumbledore. He completely understands this character and plays him in a detailed and controlled manner.

Finally, the direction is perfect. David Yates, the director of both Order and Prince seems to really understand that what holds these movies together and ensures their popularity is the human factor. Special effects, magical monsters and enchanted locations look wonderful, but are not a challenge. And in the very first shot of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, when Harry is being photographed by paparazzi, Yates is smart enough to subtly focus on Dumbledore's hand on Harry's shoulder. If this isn't a great movie, I don't know what is.

Book to Movie Review: Angels & Demons

People tend to misunderstand Dan Brown a lot. First, there are people who read Brown's books as if they are history books. They most definitely are not. Secondly, there are people who do not realize what they are reading - fictional thrillers with elements of sci-fi and/or history. These people groan through the books, thinking they are ridiculous and stupid. If you belong to either one of these groups, you will not like Angels & Demons.

In its book form, Angels & Demons comes before The Da Vinci Code, which was adapted for the silver screen back in 2006. In its movie form, however, it plays as the sequel. After being involved in a big religious scandal that is at the core of Da Vinci, symbologist Robert Langdon is surprised when he is invited to Vatican to help them solve a mystery. It seems like a container of antimatter, a cluster of highly explosive particles has been stolen from a research laboratory in Switzerland and is now planted somewhere in the Vatican. This is thought to be a work of a long-forgotten secret society, the Illuminati. Also, the pope has recently died, and the four strongest candidates have been kidnapped.

The Da Vinci Code was a big commercial success, but it was butchered by the critics. This movie has been graded only slightly higher. In truth, it's much less faithful to the book than Da Vinci was. I was annoyed to see very much of the book's fascinating information about history, science and the city of Rome cut from the movie. On the other hand, there are also some moments from  the book I was glad didn't make it into the movie - namely, Langdon's gravity-defying stunt. All in all, this movie is more focused on being accessible, fast and suspenseful. For the most part, it is. The special effects are impressive, the cast list is almost as good as last time, especially due to Ewan McGregor's enthused take on the role of the late pope's student, and it's just violent enough. However, I would have liked to see more flesh-and-blood characters (sadly, no Audrey Tautou, Alfred Molina, Paul Bettany and Ian McKellen this time around), as well as more history, cryptography and secrets.

GRADE: 4/5