| by Bel | 9.51pm NZ time |
Favourite film based on a book/comic/etc
Everything Is Illuminated
Plenty of people would disagree that this film is a good adaptation of the book. I know what they mean. A whole third of the book's interwoven plot is completely ignored. The devasting final reveal is completely flipped. The undercurrents of Jonathan and Alex's correspondence is glossed over.
And yet I would still argue that it is an entertaining and engaging film in its own right.
So much of this is thanks to wonderful performances which bring the quirky characters fully to life.
And the script takes the best of the book's writing for hilariously quotable dialogue:
Unlike most adaptations where I would argue the book must be read first (The Beach is a great film but it makes so much more sense if you've read the novel), I think you can safely read Everything Is Illuminated after having seen the movie without denegrating the experience of enjoying the story on the page.
I did not like the film the first time round (had not read the book), but did very much enjoy Lotte's Boyfriend Eugene Hutz' performance. Coincidentally it is sitting in my rental list waiting for me to give it another go.
(Have of course read the book since, and loved it.)
Yes. My boyfriend's performance made that movie for me, and was the primary reason for my renting it. I hadn't read the book at that stage, and I really only dipped into it about a year later (and shamefully never finished it), but I did find it to be an enjoyable film. And I think I may have owned the soundtrack earlier still.
"You are in repose"