I wouldn't say that I read a lot of books, because I don't. I do love to read, the act of curling up with a good novel, a cuppa and a blanket has massive appeal to me, especially at this time of the year. I adore the escapism of books, the sheer indulgence of delving into another world or the mind of another is unmatched by anything else, not even cinema can offer the full scope of understanding and depth of emotion that the written word can, this is undeniably true.
I however, am always looking for a quick fix when it comes to my indulgences, and cinema offers me that. I only need around 100 minutes to smash out a new story, so cinema will always be my number one drug of choice when it comes to entertainment. I do find it really hard to squeeze in a lot of reading when I am so often glued to the screen watching things, but I do still read around 15 books a year, a bit more than one a month, which isn't too bad really.
There is always one major downfall when it comes to reading the book before you see the movie version, it very rarely, if ever, lives up to the epic-ness of the book. You just can't get all of the inner dialogue and depth into a movie, so it often falls really short and you leave the cinema feeling ripped off, driving everyone else mad with your diatribes about how inaccurate the characters were and how they totally fucked up the ending.
Every now and again, some brilliant director picks up a book and actually gets it right, not often, but once and a while it does happen. Last night I had one such moment, I had already read the book, had high expectations, sat down and prepared for let down, and.... well, you can read for yourself.
I however, am always looking for a quick fix when it comes to my indulgences, and cinema offers me that. I only need around 100 minutes to smash out a new story, so cinema will always be my number one drug of choice when it comes to entertainment. I do find it really hard to squeeze in a lot of reading when I am so often glued to the screen watching things, but I do still read around 15 books a year, a bit more than one a month, which isn't too bad really.
There is always one major downfall when it comes to reading the book before you see the movie version, it very rarely, if ever, lives up to the epic-ness of the book. You just can't get all of the inner dialogue and depth into a movie, so it often falls really short and you leave the cinema feeling ripped off, driving everyone else mad with your diatribes about how inaccurate the characters were and how they totally fucked up the ending.
Every now and again, some brilliant director picks up a book and actually gets it right, not often, but once and a while it does happen. Last night I had one such moment, I had already read the book, had high expectations, sat down and prepared for let down, and.... well, you can read for yourself.
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
Release Date: 2015
Rating: M
Running Time: 105 mins
Yes! Finally! A movie that was as good as the book, and also a film that has two teenagers, one of which is dying of cancer, and no one is hooking up, can I get an Amen? This film is fantastic, I adored it, it is an exceptionally well cast coming-of-age movie that has the right mix of quirky characters and odd insight to make it a winner. Already being a huge fan of the novel written by Jesse Andrews, I did have high expectations of this, and I was not disappointed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's sensitive directorial efforts here, which won him a standing ovation when it premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and also the Audience Award for U.S. Drama.
Self loathing jokester Greg (Thomas Mann) drifts from one school clique to another, never committing to any one group. He and his long time co-worker Earl spend their free time recreating classic movies into short film parodies to amuse themselves. However, Greg's insular world is about to be altered when his mother makes him befriend Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a fellow student that has been diagnosed with leukemia.
This film really hit a sweet note for me, mostly because it was believable, which teen drama often isn't at all, and also the two boys love for classic cinema really endeared me. RJ Cyler, although not on screen nearly enough, was epic as Earl, easily my favourite character, which is a tough call since every single character has some chestnut of information to share here. This is just really beautiful story telling that shouldn't be missed.
FINAL SAY: I have no idea what I am doing.
4.5 Chili Peppers
Release Date: 2015
Rating: M
Running Time: 105 mins
Yes! Finally! A movie that was as good as the book, and also a film that has two teenagers, one of which is dying of cancer, and no one is hooking up, can I get an Amen? This film is fantastic, I adored it, it is an exceptionally well cast coming-of-age movie that has the right mix of quirky characters and odd insight to make it a winner. Already being a huge fan of the novel written by Jesse Andrews, I did have high expectations of this, and I was not disappointed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon's sensitive directorial efforts here, which won him a standing ovation when it premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic and also the Audience Award for U.S. Drama.
Self loathing jokester Greg (Thomas Mann) drifts from one school clique to another, never committing to any one group. He and his long time co-worker Earl spend their free time recreating classic movies into short film parodies to amuse themselves. However, Greg's insular world is about to be altered when his mother makes him befriend Rachel (Olivia Cooke), a fellow student that has been diagnosed with leukemia.
This film really hit a sweet note for me, mostly because it was believable, which teen drama often isn't at all, and also the two boys love for classic cinema really endeared me. RJ Cyler, although not on screen nearly enough, was epic as Earl, easily my favourite character, which is a tough call since every single character has some chestnut of information to share here. This is just really beautiful story telling that shouldn't be missed.
FINAL SAY: I have no idea what I am doing.
4.5 Chili Peppers
RSS Feed