How many photos / CDs can you fit on a 500gb external hard drive???
How many photos / CDs can you fit on a 500gb external hard drive???
Member since:16.07.2005
Reviews:55
Members who trust:44
This film is adapted from Graham Swift's novel of the same name, which won the Booker Prize in 1996. At university this term I am doing a course on the Booker Prize winners, and as we were doing 'Last Orders' last week, I thought I should rent the film from our library.
I really enjoyed the book (as you can see from my review on it), I loved how intricately the characters were drawn; some parts of the narrative were so intimate you felt you could really associate and empathise with each of the characters. The novel is much more character based than plot based, so I was very interested to see how the novel could be translated to the big screen.
Basically, the plot of the film revolves around four men who travel to Margate to scatter the ashes of their friend, Jack Dodds. However, what originally seems like a very simple premise becomes more complicated as we learn more about the cahracters and how their lives are intertwined through a continuous series of flashbacks.
Whilst watching the film the first thing that struck me was how easy it was to watch. Much like the book is very easy to read, maybe I wouldn't say you don't have to think while watching it, it is enjoyable
and thought-provoking without being too heavy handed. The themes of the plot are those which are hard to deal with, yet the film doesn't make so much of them that it is painful to watch, focusing instead on the characters and how they react to the events.
As a film this is pretty good. However, as an adaptation it falls slightly. What I liked so much about the novel was the insight Swift gave us into his characters. When the omnscient narrative that we find in the book is lost, this closeness to the characters becomes harder to find, and a certian element is lost. For instance, my favourite passage in the book is where the 4 men are in a pub halfway through their trip, and Ray goes to the toilets to try and regain his composure. He thinks about really mundane things to try and get his mind back on the task in hand, and the scene is so intimate, so detailed that you cann't help but feel like you are right there with them. In a film where the main form of narration is dialogue, this is harder to portray. We cannot hear the characters' innermost thoughts as we can with the novel, so we cannot feel such a close attachment to them.
Another part of the film I wasn't too keen on was how the character of June was brought to the screen. Although this wasn't a character that was purely introduced for the film, in the book we do not meet her, we just hear talk of her. I felt that the inclusion of her in the film wasn't wise, as in the novel she is more symbolic of the distance between Amy and Jack; she is a metaphor for everything the couple can't say to each other, for the differences in their characters. I felt that this symbolism was somewhat lost in the film.
Another difference between the film and the book is the ending. At the end of the film after the men have scattered the ashes they walk off together, all matey, slapping each other on the back, talking about going for a drink. In the book this is not so much the case, you get the impression that now Jack has gone some of the ties will be severed, things will never be the same again, particularly between the characters of Vince and Lenny. Also, the way Amy and Ray are portrayed at the end is different to the way they are in the book; their ending seems more hopeful, you get the impression that the things Ray talks about are actually going to happen (trying to not give too much of the plot away here!). However, in the book this isn't really the case; you get the feeling that Ray's plans aren't going to come to anything, he's not going to do the travelling he talks about. Though I guess this is where the transition from page to screen becomes very apparent; it is a different thing for a novel to have a downbeat ending than it is for a film to have one. The film ends on a more positive, hopeful note, whereas the novel does not. But in film today this is, perhaps not expected, but wanted by the majority, people don't want to go watch a film and come away depressed.
Like I said, as a film standing alone it is good, enjoyable, easy to watch. As an adaptation of a book that I personally really like, I found fault with it. The film has some big names in it, so if the director branched away slightly more from the novel then it would probably have been just as successful in its own right. However, the fact that it is so close to the novel suggests that the director wanted it to be seen as an accompaniment to Swift's novel.
The film stars: Michael Caine as Jack, Bob Hoskins as Ray, Tom Courtenay as Vic, David Hemmings as Lenny, Ray Winstone as Vince and Helen Mirren as Amy. Directed by Fred Schepisi.
I didn't have a chance to watch any of the special features, but they are: Theatrical Trailer Trailer Evolution Video Behind The Scenes Director And Main Cast Crew Interviews Novelist Graham Swifts Biography Director And Main Cast Filmographies Production Notes Marketing Evolution Image Gallery
On Amazon.co.uk this is £5.99, on Play.com this is £4.99.
I would give it 3.89 out of 5.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: John Duigan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
I think I agree with you about this film. I thought the film was a great heart warming story and I did like the route taken as it went through everywhere I used to live!! The introduction of the woman character I think did work on film and would not have worked on the book as it seemed to add a new dimension to the "affair" going on between her and .... (sorry can't remember the character's name)
however much as I agree with men losing ties as suggested in the book and muchy as I appreciate the Arthur Miller style sad endings - I think perhaps I will allow the film this poetic licence on this occasion as it made the last wishes of more significance without detracting somewhat. - still great review - many thanks and good luck on results day!!
mongo_bongocat 23.05.2006 16:01
Nice review. I remember liking this film quite a lot.
sghawken 15.03.2006 20:29
Great review - I was a bit indifferent to this, I think I liked it but dont think i'd be going mad about it. But hey different strokes etc, no heads coming off automatically puts a barrier up for me on this one ;o)
Jack Dodds was a regular guy so why the strange last order to have his ashes thrown off ... more
Margate pier? And why did his wife refuse to do it? As his friends make the trip to the coast they try to understand Jack's death by reliving their lives through h...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Oct 18th, 2005
very helpful by (95%):
helpful by (5%):
