I thought they did a really amazing job adapting this book to film. It was clean, made sense and really explored what the In-Between would look like. I loved all the special effects and how what happened on earth changed her heaven, especially the scene where Mark Wahlberg is smashing all the ships in the bottles and they all start washing up on her shore.
They PG-ed the movie down a bit compared to the book, but I thought they kept the overall intent the same. Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci were amazing. I also really love Saoirse Ronan. And while I missed and wished for some of the depth and details portrayed in the book, I didn’t walk away feeling that there was anything lacking.
by Nicholas Sparks
I like his books, but I find they really come to life when they’re played on the silver screen. All the nuances of living are fully expressed through the actors and the interactions between people seem real, while Sparks doesn’t really speak of the subtle actions that make life unforgettable. While movies based on his stories can make me cry, his books leave me feeling very little in comparison. So, I’ll be looking forward to watching this movie and am curious how Miley Cyprus will do.
TPL DVD: Quirky film about quirky love between quirky people. Seems more like an independent film with big names, but it misses the mark a bit.
Jennifer Aniston looks great, but I wonder, how much work does she have to keep looking so good? The only place you can really see any aging is in her hands. Random thought.
What makes us human? Aren’t we all a bit of both, monster and man? I liked this movie because vampires could be so many things, blood could be so many things, everything could be a metaphor for what we are today.
Lately there have been so many movies that challenge us: District 9, Avatar, to name a couple. But I wonder if any of it changes how we act, what we do. I can’t help but wonder, does it even make an impact? These movies are like escaping into a scarier reality than the one we face today. Should we be happy it isn’t this bad yet?
And meanwhile, all these people who make these altruistic movies, they still end up living in their huge houses, wearing expensive clothing, buying into our fucked up society. So, where’s the hope in it all? In all these blockbuster stands for our humanity?
But I liked the insight that people can change, like Frankie. Or that people still stand up for what they believe and try to retain a sense of right in all the wrong, like Ed and even the director’s daughter. She ended up committing suicide, but she never became a monster.
by Nicholas Sparks
Sparks is so good at what he does. And I can see why they make such good Hollywood movies. Simple stories about finding yourself, finding love, that have a touch of magic to them. A touch of something extraordinary. And maybe that’s in a way what life is about, believing in something and making it real. The picture was lucky because Drake, Logan and Victor believed it was. The power of Law of Attraction? Maybe a little too happy ending, but I enjoyed it.
by Alice Sebold
This book was very different than I imagined. And somehow everyone came to peace with never knowing what happened. That there are mysteries in life that we’ll never be able to solve, but that whether you know the means or not, the end doesn’t change. They never found her, yet, somehow they all found peace. I hope that if I ever get the chance to live again, that I choose to live, like Suzie. To live rather than chase hate or pain or sorrow. Maybe I should do more of that now, here, alive.
It makes me wonder what my heaven will be like. Will I see my mother? Will I be bored? Will the mystery of my adoption, my birth parents come to light? It’s not something that I linger on in life, but my version of heaven would be all knowing. I think as long as I could find G, I’d be in heaven.
I’m excited for this movie. I think the visual illustration of Suzie’s heaven will be amazing. The previews look so good, yet I wonder if they’ll only focus on her death, or if they’ll focus on the life that resumes around her void. I wonder if they’ll manufacture a ‘as happy an ending as possible’ or end it like Sebold does.
A predictable romantic comedy is a good way to start off the year. And while things were pretty predictable, I still really enjoyed the story. I think the relationship between Amy Adams’ and Matthew Goode’s characters could have been pumped up a bit. A little more longing and tension would have been nice. But, I still really enjoyed the movie and it wasn’t hard for me to see how they fell for each other.
And the what would I grab in 60 seconds is a good question. I’m not sure what they’d be, the things I’d save. Years ago they would have been my collages, my negatives and my journals. But lately, those things don’t carry the same emotional weight they once did. I think I’d just grab G.
I really enjoyed this movie. I think I fell into the big trap of whether or not this movie is true or not. And I have come to the conclusion that it’s not, it’s a story, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it doesn’t contain any truth.
For me the most meaningful and heartwarming part was the ending when ‘Nick’ decides to turn off the recording of Charlyne’s wireless mic. He sacrificed his desire to capture her relationship and the success of the ‘documentary’ for her shot with Michael. And that to me, is love. Plus, I love how he called her Chuck all the time. And shit, Charlyne is so damn cute.
