A couple of weeks ago I showed you a clip where the David Nicholls himself said lovers of the book would not be disappointed, and you know what he was right. I was not disappointed. In fact I was delighted!
There was only one thing I didn't love and that was Anne Hathaway as Emma, which was something I had predicted. I'm not sure who I would have cast as Emma, but she definitely wasn't it and I wasn't the only one who thought that. I went in with an open mind about her, but it just didn't work and the few moments where her American accent slipped through didn't help her case!
Jim Sturgess on the other hand was a perfect Dexter. He had the arrogance, the selfishness and the brokeness all down, plus not hard to look at which is a bonus! I'm pretty sure he will fulfill everyone's dreams of how Dexter should be, both in character traits and looks!
The film was beautifully shot in segments of the 15th of July, the anniversary of Dexter and Emma's first meeting. Everything else that falls between those days in the book is basically left out, but that did not alter the magic of the story or the development of the characters. I was a little concerned about how they were going to pull off 20 years of stuff in under 2 hours, but they did it! Nicholls' script was great and direction by Lone Scherfig was incredible, which I suppose was to be expected from this acclaimed director. Just look at AN EDUCATION.
This is a good week for films 4 out of 5! Watch the link below for a serious indication of just how good Jim Sturgess is as Dex.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810197449/video/25911716#25761620
Do you think it has a shot at the Oscar?
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say. There's still a long time between now and the Oscars, meaning plenty of time for bigger and better films to be released.
ReplyDeleteI do think it has a chance at some nominations as it was a beautiful film, but I wouldn't be putting money on it just yet!
Thank you for the amazing review! I was definitely worried that the length of the film wouldn't be able to capture the spirit of the book. You mentioned about Anne Hathaway's accent and acting in the film...I was wondering if that made the chemistry with Jim Sturgess less believable? (I hope not!)...also how was the acting from the supporting cast? (i.e. Romola Garai, Jodie Whittaker, Rafe Spall, Patricia Clarkson, Ken Stott- Dex's dad) and lastly were there any tears shed in the movie theater? hahaha...thanks once again!
ReplyDeleteThe chemistry between Jim and Anne was still very believable, they were great on screen together and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them working together again in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe supporting cast was great, Dex's dad was just as I'd imagined and Ian was also perfectly cast. In my opinion there wasn't enough Patricia Clarkson in this film. She is an amazing actress and she did a wonderful job as Dex's mother. Aside from not quite believing in Anne as Emma the casting was pretty good.
There were plenty of tears shed, I had only a couple of silent tears, but there were plenty of people who had a proper cry. I think I was a hit more prepared as I knew how it ended. If you cry easily in films I would definitely take some tissues with you when you see it!!
Cinephile, Baz Bamigboye from Daily Mail UK ( a well-regarded film critic & columnist ) praised not only Jim Sturgess' performance, but also Anne Hathaway's performance . If movie fans cannot stand Hathaway, they are not going to like her performance. We all have a personal preferences.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more. Film choice, like and dislike of actors is completely subjective. I like Anne Hathaway as an actress and think she is very talented, and did not criticize her acting ability. However, as a fan of the book I just did not think she was the right person to play Emma and in a cinema of 100+ people who had read and loved the book, more than half agreed that she did a good job but she just wasn't Emma.
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