When the film is better than the book....

It's been a long, LONG time since I've blogged. But never mind, let's move on.

I want to share a little something I've discovered - that sometimes, just sometimes, the film is better than the book.

Last night I watched a film in bed. One Day with Anne Hathaway. I didn't gave much hope for the film as although the book hit best seller lists everywhere I just found it kind of meurgh.

Emma frustrated me when I read the book - I just wanted her to grow a spine. As for Dexter? He annoyed me beyond words. What a self-centred character.
What I did buy into was the one day a year element of the book, I thought it was good and moved the story forward well.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


But Anne Hathaway really nailed the geeky Emma, and Jim Sturges, who is he?  Because he almost made me feel for Dexter.  I loved the interpretation of a book I found quite bland and even had a tear in my eye at one point!











So let's move on to the next on the hit list - The Notebook.  This was
a book that was passed around at my work.  People loved it, people hated it.  Again, I found it kind of meurgh.
I was bored, I didn't connect with the characters.  The final scene in the book was poignant, but that was about it for me.

Then, came the greatness that was the film.  Now, not that I especially like Ryan Gosling.  He's fine.  It was Rachel McAdam and James Garner that blew me away.  I thought they were spectacular.  Rachel was bubbly, vivacious and captivating as Allie.  James Garner played the role with his heart and soul on full display.  I'm going to leave the whole interpretation of the older Allie (Gena Rowlands) out of this completely.  Lots of things about that didn't sit right with me.  But this film was great.  I could watch it again and again and again.

So that's it for me.  There have been hundreds of films that are poor in comparison to the book.  I often watch a film and growl because it doesn't live up to the expectations of the book.

But for me, these two were the opposite.  What do you think?