Book to Film Review: The Beach

About the film

The Beach is a drama film that was released in 2000 and is based on the book of the same name by Alex Garland. The film is rated and has a run time of 119 minutes.  

Plot

Richard is having the time of his life travelling around Thailand. When staying in a really dodgy hotel, he befriends the guy staying in the room next door, Bugs. While Bugs is a little bit insane, he tells Richard about an island, somewhere untouched by civilisation. The beach is supposed to be a lush paradise, a place of solitary and tropical bliss. Intrigued, along with French travellers Françoise and Étienne, they set off on an adventure to see if this magical sounding place actually exists.

What I thought

Until recently, I never knew that this film was based on a book! Now that I know this though, I would very much like to read it. Anyway, on to the film…

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Richard, a pretty self-obsessed party guy looking for a good time while on his travels. While DiCaprio was not the first choice for the role, I do think that he was probably the best choice. Richard was a really immature character who really didn’t understand the concept of real life and that bad things happen when you don’t listen to the warnings. It is really strange that the protagonist of a film as big as this was someone so unlikeable. I also didn’t like his character’s development either. Over the course of the film, Richard doesn’t really change very much. He stays selfish throughout the whole film and never learns from his mistakes.

The plot, however, was a very interesting one. I loved being able to see the differences between the tourist world of travelling and the places that are left untouched. This is a film with stunning visuals and it really made me want to see more of the world. Even seeing scenes set in a packed and quite insane looking Thailand made me interested in the culture there. However, it was more of the idyllic setting of the beach and the wonderful scenes of remote locations that got me. The Beach is a film that is a feast for the eyes when it comes to place I would want to visit.

While the adventure of getting to the beach was very entertaining, it was the parts where Richard, Françoise and Étienne have finally reached their destination that this film got even better. I really loved the community setting on the beach and getting to know all of the different characters and personalities. All of these different people are what make this film so good and interesting. It was quite strange to see so many people there from different places and I wanted to know more about how they got there and where they managed to get a map from in the first place. What I also really loved was seeing the dynamics of the community and how everything worked under Sal’s command.

One thing that I didn’t necessarily agree with in this film was the romance aspect. Richard lusts after Françoise, even though she has a boyfriend who is travelling with them. I think that this film could have done without the romance, especially as it didn’t matter to the plot. The relationship between Richard and Françoise seems to be a bit of a filler in this story. There isn’t even really much time spent on this aspect of the film which is why I didn’t see the point of it. The relationship doesn’t progress much, the characters do not develop either for better or worse because of it and it wasn’t even passionate or entertaining.

While there are things I don’t like about this film, somehow it is still one of my favourites. The Beach is a film I can happily watch over and over again.

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

About the book

If You Find Me is a contemporary young adult novel by Emily Murdoch. It was published by Indigo on 2^nd May and the book is 304 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey's younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and the girls are found by their father, a stranger, and taken to re-enter the "normal" life of school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must come to terms with the truth of why their mother spirited them away ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won't let her go ... a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn't spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

What I thought

Emily Murdoch begins this novel with such a strong opening. Carey and Jenessa are two young girls living in a trailer in the middle of the woods somewhere. Their drug addict mother has abandoned them, leaving them to fend for themselves – which is something they are used to doing at this point. It was shocking to see two girls at such young ages to be living in such a way and Murdoch was very descriptive about how hard the conditions were. The story really begins though when a woman and a man come to the woods to find Carey and Jenessa. The man, being Carey’s biological father has sole custody, and has done for some time – something which Carey’s mother failed to tell her. Even though Jenessa isn’t biologically his, he takes her in as well and the girls have to get used to a whole new life, a father, a stepmother and stepsister.

As the girls have grown up in the woods, you would think that they were uneducated and very unaware of the world around them. However, Murdoch writes extremely clever characters. Carey has taught herself from books and then begun to teach Jenessa herself. When the girls move in with their father, the true beauty of their upbringing really shines through. However bad living in the woods may have been, Carey is able to see the good in it as well as the bad. The descriptions of never ending meals of beans sounded absolutely awful but then there were also descriptions of the smoky smells that no longer exist in their hair. It was a wonder that Carey was able to have such a positive attitude at times after everything she had been through.

Carey’s voice is also a distinct one as she narrates the story. Even though her mother was a drug addict with mental health problems, she did try to teach the girls how to talk properly, without dropping letters. This was something Carey forgot to do a lot and mostly when she gets very emotional about something. In her new life, Carey tries to be someone she isn’t and I loved watching the real her shine through. There were so many good things about Carey as a character and I couldn’t help but love her. She was so caring, especially towards her little sister and would do anything to protect her. Then there were the secretive aspect of her which very few people got to experience.

If You Find Me was a beautifully written debut with a very strong and important plot. The book isn’t only about the girls finding a better life but it is about coming to terms with their past, getting to grips with the bad things in life and making the best of what they had and also about new beginnings and new relationships. I absolutely adored this book!

Book to Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook

About the film

Silver Linings Playbook is a comedy/ drama film that was released at the cinema on 21^st November 2012. The DVD will be released on 1^st April. Silver Linings Playbook is adapted from the novel of the same name by Matthew Quick. The film is rated 15 and has a run time of 122 minutes.

Plot (Taken from Amazon.com)

Life doesn't always go according to plan. Pat Solatano has lost everything--his house, his job, and his wife. He now finds himself living back with his mother and father after spending eight months is a state institution on a plea bargain. Pat is determined to rebuild his life, remain positive and reunite with his wife, despite the challenging circumstances of their separation. All Pat's parents want is for him to get back on his feet-and to share their family's obsession with the Philadelphia Eagles football team. When Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own, things get complicated. Tiffany offers to help Pat reconnect with his wife, but only if he'll do something very important for her in return. As their deal plays out, an unexpected bond begins to form between them, and silver linings appear in both of their lives.

What I thought

Before watching this film, I didn’t know that it was based on a book but now that I do, it makes me want to read it.

Bradley Coopers stars as Pat Jr, a man just coming out of 8 months of treatment in an institution. Pat is mentally unstable after the breakdown of his marriage and is now diagnosed as bi-polar. It was wonderful to watch Pat’s character develop throughout the film, going from a complete mess and not really knowing what was going on in his life to being at a point where he is content and happy. I’m not really Cooper’s biggest fan and I have to say that if it hadn’t been for Jennifer Lawrence, I don’t think I would have watched this film. However, Cooper is fantastic as Pat and really puts a lot into the role. A large range of emotions were needed to be able to play this role and Cooper is extremely convincing as Pat. One minute he’s very down and sad but the next he is so happy he bounces off of the walls. I have to say that Silver Linings Playbook may just have altered what I thought about Cooper.

Jennifer Lawrence is equally as good, if not better, in her role as Tiffany. She, just look Pat, is quite mentally unstable after the death of her husband. She’s loud, brash and very outspoken which is what I loved about her. The two characters really complement each other well as they are often at two different sides of the spectrum. Tiffany is a very confused character, not always knowing exactly what she wants or the right thing to say. She doesn’t have a filter on when she talks and just does and says anything she feels like. While this is a drama film, it is also a comedy and between Tiffany and Pat, there are plenty of funny moments between them. Much like Cooper, Lawrence needed to be able to be very open and emotional in this role and she does it well. The role is very different from others she has played such as Katniss in The Hunger Games. I do think this was a fantastic role for Lawrence to take because it shows that she is more than a one series actress and now she has really made a name for herself.

I also really enjoyed the plot as much as the main performances. Pat is absolutely obsessed with his wife Nikki who he is separated from. He doesn’t really understand this though and is determined to show her that he has changed and is a better man. It was heart breaking to see Pat in constant states of denial or confusion because he couldn’t understand why things were a certain way. When he meets Tiffany, things change because he is confronted with someone who is very similar to him and also going through similar problems. The outcome of the story was pretty predictable but I didn’t mind that at all. I thought the lead up to, and the ending, were wonderfully done and very inspirational to others with mental health issues at the same time.

Something that did bug me about this film though was the way that it was shot. Some scenes would finish in a really random way that didn’t really fit with the rest of the film. Some scenes are also extremely short, jumping from one thing to another very quickly which can be very confusing. However, this does also make it possible to be able to realise how Pat is feeling, with emotions all over the place. Don’t be expecting to be wowed with the settings in this film either. The majority of the film takes place in a small town where Pat and Tiffany meet and while the shots of the street over the changing seasons were nice, they just weren’t anything special. Silver Linings Playbook isn’t a film about stunning scenery though. It’s a film about the characters and all of the attention is on them instead.

I really enjoyed this film and will definitely be buying it once it is released on DVD. 

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs

About the book

Sweet Shadows is the second book in the Medusa Girls series by Tera Lynn Childs. It was published by Templar on 1^st March and the book is 368 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Plot Synopsis

Grace, Gretchen and Greer are sisters who are descendants of Medusa. Not that long ago, none of them knew about their sisters as they were adopted. Gretchen has always known who and what she is but now she must teach her sisters all about the monsters who try to kill them and how to fight. However, now that they are all together, and united, monsters of the abyss are out to destroy Grace, Gretchen and Greer.

As the girls begin to get to know one another, many obstacles stand in their way. Gretchen doesn’t know if she can trust the extremely hot Nick, Grace’s brother Thane has gone missing and rich girl Greer doesn’t want her perfect life being upset. With all of this going on, their destiny calls but will it be fulfilled?

What I thought

Being the second book in a series, there may be minor spoilers for the first book, Sweet Venom in this review.

Something that I think was common with the first book in this series was the confusion between the three sisters. It took me some time to get used to each character but as they all narrate their own chapters, it becomes easier to tell them apart as time goes on. In Sweet Shadows, after a quick recap of who was who at the back of the book, I didn’t have any problems remembering which girl was which. Now, each of the girl’s voices are much more distinct, as are their personalities. As I began reading Sweet Shadows, I felt that I really knew who each character was thanks to great introductions in the first book.

As far as characters go, even though Grace, Gretchen and Greer are all pretty equal, I did have my favourites. Grace is sweet and intelligent, thinking she is nothing more than the brains of the operation while Gretchen already kicks ass and is quite sure of herself. Greer on the other hand, I had problems liking. Maybe it was because of her upbringing in comparison to Gretchen and Grace. She’s a bit spoilt at times but she does begin to be a better character in this book. Tera Lynn Childs spends time in this book with each of the girls on their own as well as combinations of them together. I really enjoyed seeing them all in different situations and how they reacted.

Sweet Shadows sees some really interesting developments with secondary characters, who didn’t have much to do with anything in the first book. Nick, the mysterious guy always hanging around Gretchen is certainly an interesting character with many secrets. While he and Gretchen begin to know each other slightly better, there is always the thought that he is hiding something. In this book, we get to know so much more about Nick although I’m still unsure about whether I trust him or not. There is also Thane, Grace’s brother. He pretty much ran away in Sweet Venom and he is still missing for the majority of this book. Due to his texts with Grace, it made me wonder where he went and what he was doing because if it wasn’t something exciting or a big secret, it wouldn’t have been included in the first place.

This book expands on the girls’ destiny and what they were born to do. As descendants of Medusa, they are able to fight monsters and a whole range of other awesome things. While there was some monster fighting going on, I didn’t feel as though it was enough. I wanted more. There could have been so many more scenes with the girls kicking some ugly monster’s arse. However, I did find the whole mythology aspect of Sweet Shadows much more interesting than in the first book as so much more was explained. Along with Medusa being a central theme in the book, many of the other Gods are brought in to help with the background information, as well as during the events of this book.

There was a lot going on in this book and I found it very exciting to read. While there is a lot of information to take in, learning about so many new people and what they do, there was also a lot more to this book. The plot thickens deeply, the characters develop so much and there are plenty of twists and turns. I especially liked the explanations to do with Grace, Gretchen and Greer’s destiny and other people’s opinions on what they thought should be done.

Sweet Shadows is a great second book and it sets the scene really well for the third and final instalment. Grace, Gretchen and Greer are three kick ass teenagers in a world full of crazy monsters and back-stabbing characters.

Taken by Erin Bowman

About the book

Taken is the first book in the series of the same name by Erin Bowman. The book was published by Harper Teen on 16^th April and it is 352 pages long. A e-book review copy was provided through Edelweiss.

Synopsis (Taken from Goodreads.com)

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

What I thought

The first thing to note with Taken is that it is told through a male narrative. Most of the young adult books I read are generally told from either a girl’s perspective or a dual narrative so it was refreshing to have a boy’s voice for once. Gray Weathersby lives in a town called Claysoot, a place where there are no men, only boys. On each boy’s eighteenth birthday, they disappear. They are Heisted. No one knows what happens to the boys or where they go. At the beginning of Taken, Gray’s older brother is just turning eighteen, with Grey’s birthday not that long behind his. Gray was a fantastic protagonist and one I liked immediately, even though he is head-strong and doesn’t really think about the consequences of his actions. However, there is a lot more to Gray than is let on to begin with and I really enjoyed getting to know his character.

The central plot of this book is the Heist and what happens to all of the boys once they disappear. The idea for me was very original and different and it was also really interesting. Due to the nature of the plot, there is a lot of mystery involved in Taken and it takes a while to get to know what’s really going on. Even then, Erin Bowman throws in some many twists and turns that you’re never really sure what is the truth and what isn’t. Although the beginning of the book begins to explain about Claysoot and the Heist, Taken isn’t completely set there. Gray is extremely brave when he attempts to climb the wall in order to see what is on the other side but I don’t really think he was ever prepared for what he would find.

Although Gray is the protagonist of Taken, there are so many other wonderful characters introduced along the way. Love interest Emma takes up a large amount of the beginning of the book, due to the way in which Claysoot is run. I liked getting to know about the town where Gray grew up and the kinds of things that they did there. However, the outside world was far more interesting but Bowman manages to mix the two places together. While there are more important things going on, Claysoot is a part of them and it was exciting waiting to find out how the town fit in to everything. However, Emma presence is quite short lived and I don’t think the character was used as much as she maybe could have been. Along with Emma, there are so many other characters on the outside world who I utterly loved but I don’t want to mention anything about them so I don’t give anything away.

All in all, Erin Bowman has created a world full of mystery and suspense but also one with an intricate background. Taken’s plot was by far one of the most original and intense that I have read for a long time. Gray’s strong and sure narrative makes Taken a fantastic read and now I am desperate for the second book to find out what will happen next. 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

About the book

The Fault in Our Stars is a stand-alone young adult novel by John Green. It was published by Penguin on 3^rd January and the book is 336 pages long.

Plot Synopsis

At age thirteen, Hazel was diagnosed with Stage 4 thyroid cancer with the expectation of only living until she was 14. However, due to a medical miracle and experimental drugs, the tumours in her lungs shrunk even if it isn’t permanent. Two years later and Hazel is still living, forced by her parents to attend a support group for kids with cancer. Even though she hates the meetings, this is where she meets Augustus Waters. Hazel believes she will always be sick and miserable but Augustus brings fun and joy back into Hazel’s life, even love too. Their relationship makes Hazel re-evaluate her life and how being sick defines her and those around her.

What I thought

I had been putting this book off for a while due to knowing the nature of the plot. I have to be in the mood for something like this but once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.

Protagonist of the story, Hazel, is a teenager with cancer. This is always going to be a tough subject to read about but John Green writes it so damn well. Hazel is far from the down and miserable character you would expect her to be. Instead, she is really witty and extremely intelligent. Even though she has cancer, she attends college classes a couple of days a week. Although she is really down (naturally) about the state of her life, she never comes across as depressing. I loved Hazel’s natural wit, her ability to say exactly what she is feeling or thinking and I loved the humour in her voice.

When Augustus comes into Hazel’s life, everything changes for them both. He too has survived some pretty horrible things for a guy so young but he doesn’t let it stop him. From the very beginning, Gus was extremely funny and a loveable and likeable character. He forces Hazel to re-evaluate everything she thinks she knows about life and cancer and really, gives her a real second chance. The pair together are wonderful to read about as the banter between them was fantastic.

The Fault in Our Stars is not exactly a book about a cancer. While characters in the book do have cancer, it is more a coming of age story. We see both Hazel and Augustus develop so much through their relationship and each of them become better and stronger people. What I wasn’t expecting from this book was the sense of adventure and the need to do something so badly. I really enjoyed watching Hazel and Augustus jet off in order to find the answers they thought they needed and this also gave them a chance to spend some real time together and have some fun.

This is strange book to be able to talk about in regards to emotions. While I was expecting to cry, which I did, I did not expect to laugh out loud so much. John Green throws in some fantastic humour, and sometimes right in the middle of a situation which shouldn’t be funny at all. At times when I thought I should be feeling really sad about what was happening I found myself giggling and laughing quite a lot. Green has a way of taking a really bad situation and making it light-hearted while still showing the importance of what is going on. This book is a whole rollercoaster of emotions but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I absolutely adored what this book made me feel and it really opened my eyes about certain things.

Although this has been my first John Green book, I am drying to read his others now. Completely loved this!

Book to Film Review: Beautiful Creatures

About the film

Beautiful Creatures is a 2013 adaptation of the novel of the same name by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. The film is a 12A and has a run time of 124 minutes.

Plot

Ethan Wate has lived in Gaitlin, South Carolina his whole life, a place where nothing ever happens are films come on at the cinema months after release. When new girl Lena Duchannes starts school, everything changes. Ethan has been dreaming about her for months, not having any idea who she is. Rumour has it that her family are devil worshippers and Lena is quickly cast aside by the rest of the school… except for Ethan. After revealing secrets to each other, Lena and Ethan become inseparable, even after the warnings from both of their families. Lena is actually a witch, (a castor) and on her sixteenth birthday, it will be decided whether she will be light or dark. There are people wanting Lena to go to the dark side and will do anything they can to make this happen.  

What I thought

Having read the book a few years ago, and it being one which I really liked, I really wanted to see this film. However, film adaptations are a bit hit and miss so I was a little apprehensive about whether or not this one would be good.

Alden Ehrenreich was cast as the lead, Ethan Wate after Jack O’Connell could no longer do the role. Unfortunately, I hated him as Ethan. Playing a Southern boy, I expected his accent to be much better than it was and I found that it annoyed me every time he spoke. I remember Ethan in the book being quite funny but not at all like his character in the film. Here, he was silly beyond belief, making a fool out of himself a lot of the time and more in a cringy way than anything else. I just didn’t believe Ehrenreich was the right person to play this role, especially as the character had changed somewhat from how he was written in the book.

However, it was refreshing to have him narrate the film, as most young adult books/ films are narrated by girls. Due to his narration and him having lived in Gaitlin his whole life, we get to learn what the town is like. However, again, unfortunately not like in the book. In the first few chapters in the book, Ethan goes on and on about how slow the town is, how people never leave and how nothing happens. While he does state this in the film, you never really get the urgency of him wanting to leave as soon as he can. There is very little time spent getting to know Ethan before Lena turns up. Because of this, Gaitlin doesn’t seem like a small, quiet town at all because the excitement comes quite quickly.

Unlike for Ethan, I did really like the casting of Lena, who is played by Alice Englert. Lena is a quirky but quiet character, not wanting to give too much about herself away. She just wants to get on with life in Gaitlin until her birthday arrives and she wants to stay out of trouble. Ethan doesn’t let that happen though as he never leaves her alone. Englert brings a quiet confidence to the role of Lena, not making her too over the top when she could have been and subdued when she needed to be as well. She was also likeable, which is more than I can say about Ehrenreich.

One of my biggest problems with this film is that Ethan and Lena’s relationship wasn’t properly explained. I went to the cinema with two friends to see this, both had not read the book beforehand. They both came out afterwards quite confused and not really understanding what had happened or why. Ethan is supposed to have been having vivid dreams about Lena for quite some time before she arrives in Gaitlin although this is not really shown. Yes, we are told that he doesn’t sleep much and that he dreams of her but the importance of these dreams is never shown. This is also where their relationship in the film falls short. Because the audience never get to understand Ethan’s dreams, or see how long he has been dreaming about Lena, their relationship seems to happen very quickly and get intense even faster, making it unbelievable and silly.

Secondary characters are also lacking and underused. In the book, Ethan’s best friend Link is quite a big part of his life and here, he is brushed over quickly. Lena’s mother is not introduced well, with her just being there at one point without so much as an explanation of who she is or why she is there. Ethan’s dad is great character in the book but in the film, he is shoved away in a room never to be seen which I was very disappointed about. As a book, Beautiful Creatures has so many interesting and different characters but they are either missing completely in the film or they only get a few minutes of screen time.

While I was annoyed with the casting and the differences from the book, there are some good things about Beautiful Creatures. For one, the setting is stunning. I loved the small, Southern town setting and the use of the Civil War to explain some of the history. This also comes into play when explaining about Lena and Ethan’s pasts and how they are linked. Once the real excitement begins and things do start happening regarding Lena and her birthday, the film got much better. Up until this point though, I was extremely bored and would have been quite happy to turn the film off had I watched it on DVD.

With some good adaptations out right now, like Warm Bodies, Beautiful Creatures fell extremely short for me and now, I don’t think I would want to go and see the other films in the series because of that.