This film is eye candy, but not much more. I didn¹t read the book, but I can¹t imagine that it¹s that much different from this movie. The story is good. The problem is that it isn't very cinematic. The filmmakers don't take the steps necessary to tell this story within the framework of film narrative. Whoever obtained the book's film rights must have visualized many of the book's scenes and thought they just had to see it on the big screen.
In a way, I wish they¹d left well enough alone if this was going to be the best they could do. If you break it up into its various parts; the writing of individual scenes, the photography, the performances of the actors; everything is great--as good as it gets. The problem is that the script never finds a way to make sense of the thing as a whole. At any given time, we¹re never quite sure why we have to continue watching the movie. There isn't that one clear objective of the protagonist that we¹re looking for. Once we think he's achieved it, the story keeps going, finding another objective.
This is fine within the framework of a novel, but doesn¹t make good cinema, no matter how nice it is to look at.
Grade: C-
In a way, I wish they¹d left well enough alone if this was going to be the best they could do. If you break it up into its various parts; the writing of individual scenes, the photography, the performances of the actors; everything is great--as good as it gets. The problem is that the script never finds a way to make sense of the thing as a whole. At any given time, we¹re never quite sure why we have to continue watching the movie. There isn't that one clear objective of the protagonist that we¹re looking for. Once we think he's achieved it, the story keeps going, finding another objective.
This is fine within the framework of a novel, but doesn¹t make good cinema, no matter how nice it is to look at.
Grade: C-