Trapped – Kevin Bacon at his creepiest; young Dakota Fanning is brilliant.

The Debt – Very slow for a spy thriller; intriguing concept; excellent acting.

The Descendants – Beautifully filmed, excellent script, George Clooney deserves an Oscar win.

One Day – Loved the book, but it didn’t work on film; disappointing.

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But then I saw a couple of bloggers, bloggers who enjoyed the books, post that they liked the movie. I decided to keep an open mind and check it out.

To my surprise, I didn’t hate it. Now, before you think I’m giving it a full endorsement, let me say that I didn’t love it, either. There were some things that the film-makers did well, and some that they didn’t. First, the script – the screenwriters did a pretty good job of adapting the book, in spite of a slow beginning. I wasn’t crazy with how it started out – the first dinner scene at Stephanie’s parents’ house was awkward and not funny, and that’s mostly because the casting for Mr. and Mrs. Plum and Grandma Mazur just wasn’t right.

Debbie Reynolds is a fantastic actress, but she is no Grandma Mazur. She’s not nearly old and shriveled enough, and is too va-va-voom. In the book, when Grandma Mazur raves about wanting a thong, it’s funny because you can’t imagine this old, prune-like woman wearing one. When Debbie Reynolds makes the crack, you figure she’s probably already got a couple dozen.

Next, Mr. Plum. I always pictured Kevin Arnold’s dad from The Wonder Years – the strong and silent type who expresses his irritation in grunts and pissed-off expressions. He hardly says a word in the books, and it’s only when he’s been pushed way past his limit. In the film, Mr. Plum complains about Grandma Mazur in a whiny voice – it doesn’t have quite the same effect. Mrs. Plum was okay, but nothing spectacular.

Okay, let’s talk about a few characters they got right: Vinnie, Lula, and Connie. None of these characters make huge appearances in the film, but they all were cast well and I can see how funny they would be in the sequels. Also, Benito Ramirez – the actor who played the boxer-slash-murderer-slash-rapist was very creepy and shudder-inducing.

Now, my apologies to all of you who had held out hope that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would play Ranger, but I could never picture him playing the part. Yes, he has the build, but he’s not Latino. Daniel Sunjata was absolutely perfect as Ranger – I hope they make a sequel simply so I can see him in the role again!

My biggest surprise was how much I bought Jason O’Mara as Joe Morelli. I know, I know, O’Mara is so Irish he’s barely lost his accent, and he doesn’t have brown eyes like melted chocolate, but he gets Morelli. The way he carries himself, the way he can switch from completely pissed to turning on the sex appeal, the way he says, “cupcake”…. I actually LOVED him as Morelli. So sue me.

Of course, that just leaves Katherine Heigl as Stephanie Plum. And I still believe that this was a casting mistake on the part of the producers. She wasn’t as horrible as I expected, but she wasn’t Stephanie either. She acted like Stephanie, but she didn’t become Stephanie, if that makes any sense. Her accent came and went – mostly went – until she hit a funny line, and then it was like she was doing a Robert De Niro impression, and not a good one. There were a few scenes where she was good – the scene with Benito Ramirez, the scenes with Lula, and she did have good chemistry with both men. I think she could get better – but, just in case any of the producers are reading my blog looking for advice for a possible sequel – she needs to drop the accent. If she can’t get it, she should just use her own voice and the New Jersey euphemisms – it will sound much more authentic than a really bad accent that comes and goes.

So, there you have it – it wasn’t everything I could have hoped for, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected, either.

(One other little nit-picky comment: pronunciation of names. Because I listened to all of the books on audio, I heard names like Kuntz and Mazur pronounced by Lorelei King, narrator extraordinaire, and was bugged when they were pronounced differently in the film.)

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Post tags: book to film, janet evanovich, movies, stephanie plum

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Title: The Children of Men
Author: P.D. James
Genre: Dystopian fiction, science fiction
Publisher: Vintage
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Source: Print copy from the public library
First line: Early this morning, 1 January 2021, three minutes after midnight, the last human being to be born on earth was killed in a pub brawl in a suburb of Buenos Aires, aged twenty-five years, two months and twelve days.

The Children of Men opens in 2021. It has been 25 years since the Omega, the name given to the last year that included any human births. No babies have been born or conceived since. Doctors and scientists have exhausted all resources in their search for a reason for this phenomenon, as well as a solution. All efforts have failed, and the human race has accepted the fact that it is dying out.

The book is told in two ways: through the journal entries of “Theodore Faron, Doctor of Philosophy, Fellow of Merton College in the University of Oxford, historian of the Victorian age, divorced, childless, solitary, whose only claim to notice is that he is cousin to Xan Lyppiatt, the dictator and Warden of England…,” and through third-person narration following Theo’s experiences with a subversive group known as The Five Fishes.

This book vividly demonstrates what happens when humankind vales sex for pleasure but not for procreation, when it values pleasure and comfort over justice and mercy, when it seeks for perfection and despises human frailty. It is not an easy read, in the sense that it is disheartening to read such a clear picture of what humankind is capable of if left to it’s own designs.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away to those of you who are planning to read this book or see the film, but I will say that Ms. James gives a strong argument for valuing each and every human life. I am now a little reluctant to watch the movie, because I will be surprised if that message comes through.

And now, for my review of the film version…

Last month, I read and reviewed the book The Children of Men by P. D. James. I knew the movie was coming out (starring one of my favorites – Clive Owen), and I wanted to read the book first. Unfortunately, I think I would have enjoyed the movie much more if I hadn’t.

There are a few similarities between the book and the movie.

~They are both set in the future.
~In the future, the human race has stopped reproducing.
~There are characters named Theo and Julian.
~Theo meets a young pregnant woman and helps her evade the government.

That’s really all they had in common. The characters are completely different. In the book, Theo is a retired college professor. In the movie, he is a disgruntled office worker. In the book, he has a friend named Jasper who is also a retired college professor. In the movie, his friend Jasper (played by Michael Caine) is a pot-growing hippy ex-activist.

In the book, Theo’s wife Julian (portrayed by Julianne Moore) is a shallow character who barely makes an appearance. In the movie, Julian is an underground political activist who cons Theo into helping the pregnant girl by offering him 5,000 pounds. In the book, Theo decides to help the girl on principal and because he is drawn to her – not for money.

I could go on and on. Why is it that people find a book that they enjoy, think would make a great movie, and then promptly change everything about it? I just don’t get it.

And more than the character and plotline changes, there is the whole theme of the book: the sacredness of life and how a world divorced from a Christian worldview becomes a place of horror and outrage. The movie becomes a political manifesto of a different sort. In fact, the whole idea that people have stopped reproducing seems to be secondary to the fact that Britain has started deporting all immigrants and has descended into mass chaos.

As you can see, I was disappointed in this movie. Perhaps if I hadn’t read the book, and didn’t know what P. D. James’ original vision for the story was, I would have enjoyed it, but I’m not sure. If you are a fan of futuristic sci-fi and haven’t read the book, you might enjoy this movie. But if you loved the book as I did, the movie will be a huge let-down.

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Post tags: book to film, dystopian fiction, p.d. james, science fiction

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When a United States Senator is brutally murdered, the evidence points to a Soviet assassin, code-named Cassius, long thought to be dead. Two men who know Cassius best are thrown together to catch him. Paul Shepherdson (Richard Gere) is a retired CIA operative who’s spent his career tracking Cassius around the globe. Ben Geary (Topher Grace) is a hotshot young FBI Agent and family man who has studied the killer’s every move. Ben thinks he knows Cassius, but Paul knows he is dead wrong. Now, time is running out to stop this merciless killing machine. Martin Sheen, Stephen Moyer, Odette Yustman, and Stana Katic costar in this tense thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last shot.

Kevin and I thoroughly enjoyed this spy thriller. I’m finding more and more films that go straight to DVD are still very much worth watching. One word of warning, though – if you’re interested in watching The Double, do not watch the trailer. It gives away a huge plot twist. Granted, the plot twist happens fairly early on in the film, and there is another major twist yet to come, but I hate it when a trailer gives away too much. Make me want to see the film, but don’t ruin any surprises for me!

Richard Gere is in his element in this type of role. It’s nice to see an actor playing his age. The very young – and baby-faced – Topher Grace is a nice foil and contrast with Gere’s steely-haired age and wisdom. The movie is well cast; I enjoyed Odette Yustman as Grace’s wife (I’ve liked her work ever since I fell in love with the series October Road), and it was fun seeing Castle‘s Stana Katic in a tiny role as a Russian prostitute.

I also liked the fact that, just when I thought I knew exactly how things were going to end, the film surprised me again. That’s what makes a thriller worth watching.

The Double will be available on DVD on January 31st. The special features include an audio commentary and a featurette.

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~ Caribousmom: Blogger Impact – inspired by author Beth Kephart’s editorial, The Value Rubric: Do Book Bloggers Really Matter?

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye, mentioned by author Laurie King on Facebook

~ Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski, reviewed by Julie at Book Hooked Blog

~ The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons, reviewed by Katy at A Few More Pages

Book to movie news:

~ The screenplay for the film adaptation of Catching Fire will not be written by Suzanne Collins. Uh, oh…

Other bookish links:

~ Mystery Writers of America announces the 2012 Edgar Award Nominees

~ Are you a fan of the British television series Downton Abbey? If so, publishers have a suggested reading list for you.

~ Penguin is pulling their audiobooks from library download site, Overdrive. After Brilliance Audio pulled the same thing, I’m wondering about the future availability of downloadable audiobooks at the library.

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Post tags: audiobooks, book awards, book blogging, book to film, movies, mysteries, TBR list

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Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson portray three men from very different walks of life, facing a mid-life crisis, a work-life crisis and a no-life crisis. In the biggest competition of their lives, they undertake an unforgettable trek through North America, engaging in hilarious and bizarre adventures and forming friendships that will last a lifetime!

I really wasn’t entirely sure what this film was about going in, but the idea of a Steve Martin/Jack Black comedy that we could watch with the boys – it’s only rated PG – appealed to me, and so I jumped at the chance to review it. Kevin and I and all four kids watched it together, and five out of six of us really enjoyed it. (5 out of 6 Kitzmillers surveyed say…)

Natalie, our 13-year-old, thought it was boring. The rest of us had a lot of fun watching it. I had never heard of the idea of a “Big Year” before, but find it fascinating. It is basically a competition between birders to spot the most North American bird species in one year. And the amazing thing is – it’s done on the honor system! You don’t have to take photos of the birds, although many people do.

In the film, you have three very different guys trying to do a Big Year. Owen Wilson plays the reigning champion, determined to defend his title, even at the expense of his marriage. Steve Martin plays a recently retired businessman, doing something he truly enjoys for the first time in a long time. Jack Black is a thirty-something employed in a job he doesn’t really like, with a father (played by Brian Dennehy – could there be a more perfect movie dad for Jack Black?) who thinks he’s worthless. The three men are constantly thrown together at bird sightings, and Black’s and Martin’s characters form a friendship.

This is a charming movie. It’s not uproariously funny, but its humor sneaks up on you. It is also heart-warming and has some great moments between Black and Martin, and Black and Dennehy. The boys all three enjoyed it (ages 13, 12, and 10), and – the real test – Kevin liked it, too. Bottom line? This is a good choice for family movie night.

The Big Year will be available on DVD on January 31st. The Blu-Ray edition has an extended version of the film, a gag reel, and a featurette called “The Big Migration.”

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2012. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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~ Both Sheila at Book Journey and Chris at Bookarama both posted on the changes in the book blogging world. Thought-provoking posts and great discussions in the comments sections of both.

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ After reading Book Trunk’s post, I really need to get my hands on a collection of George Orwell’s essays!

Read-alongs:

~ Don’t forget to vote for your choice of an Irish March read-along book. I’ll keep the poll open until the end of the month, and then announce the winning book so everyone has a month to get their hands on a copy.

Book to movie news:

~ The fourth Narnia movie is in limbo. Is anyone surprised by this after the train wreck that was The Voyage of the Dawn Treader?

~ Kate Winslet to star in director Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

~ The Mystery of Edwin Drood: the unfinished Dickens – A new BBC drama imagines how it might have ended. This stars Matthew Rhys – I loved him in Brothers and Sisters.

Other bookish links:

~ Have you read Holly’s Inbox (click on the link for my review)? I loved it – and it is now available as an e-book. The whole book is written in e-mails and text messages, so should be perfect reading on an e-reader or iPhone – and much lighter, as the book is fairly huge.

~ Flavorwire: The 25 Greatest Epigraphs in Literature

Movie links:

~ 2012′s Most Anticipated Movies – I can’t wait to see The Hunger Games, The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Les Miserables, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, World War Z (need to read this book first!), The Great Gatsby, and Lincoln. Going to be a good year for movies, I think!

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2012. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blogging, book to film, book to tv, essays, ireland reading challenge, movies, read-alongs, TBR list

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North and South – This BBC mini-series, brilliantly acted, stars the gorgeous Richard Armitage.

Chaos Theory – Dark comedy about a chaotic chain of events, mildly funny.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers – Good lessons on how Christians can fix their public image.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes – Better than expected; Kevin and the boys really liked it.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins – The boys liked it more than I did; fairly entertaining.

Sherlock Holmes: The Game of Shadows – Not quite as good as original, but still loved it.

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Discussion starters:

~ Chrisbookarama: Twitter break

Reviews and blog posts that have me adding to my to-read list:

~ The End of Everything by Megan Abbott, reviewed by Swapna at S. Krishna’s Books

Reading challenges:

~ Wendy from Caribousmom and Vasilly at 1330v are hosting the Chunky Book Club and the Chunkster Reading Challenge.

Book to movie news:

~ Leonardo DiCaprio will star in the film version of Devil in the White City.

Other bookish links:

~ Amy is hosting the Faith and Fiction Round Table again next year, with some differences. It is open to anyone, and their will be four books read throughout the year, with a discussion following each book. If you’re interested in exploring the way faith is explored in fiction, you should definitely consider reading along!

~ Fashion designers sketch Katniss’s Fire Dress – I think most of these are hideous!

© CarrieK for BOOKS AND MOVIES, 2011. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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The Next Three Days – Edge of seat action; kept me guessing until last scene.

Larry Crowne – Loved it! Heartwarming, charming, and funny; loved the scooter gang.

The Tower Heist – Funny in parts, an enjoyable way to spend the evening.

Breaking Dawn: Part One – Acting’s getting better. Only one overly cheesy scene. Great ending.

Cowboys and Aliens – James Bond. Indiana Jones. Cowboys. Aliens. A perfect popcorn flick!

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