From Print to Screen
Three novels that I’m eagerly anticipating their screen adaptations are Atonement, The Lovely Bones and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Atonement written by Ian McEwan is the story of 13 year Briony whose imaginative mind has resulted the imprisonment of Robbie, her sister’s Cecilia lover, due to allegations she made, that she saw him sexually attack her cousin, Lola. The events cause a rift in the whole family as Cecilia leaves her family, defending Robbie. The novel was great and has become one of my favourite reads. Briony is such and interesting, engaging character, a real child, and it would be interesting to see how her character is played out. Atonement is said to be presently filming. Keira Knightley stars as Cecilia and Ramola Garai stars Briony. Can’t wait to see this on screen although I can’t quite picture Keira as Cecilia.
The Lovely Bones. I almost did not want to read this. A novel about a girl who dies goes to heaven and watches her family from above. That sounds a bit dumb and not the least bit creative. But I’ve heard so much about it and just went and gave it a read. Susie is only 14 and has not yet lived her life but has been horrifically raped and murdered by a neighbour. She recalls from heaven her rape and murder and watches how her family comes to terms with her death and falls apart. An ultimately sad story. Get ready the tissue; this movie is going one big tearjerker. Peter Jackson is set to direct this. We’ll get to see him do a drama. According to IMDB, he and his fellow scriptwriters are still working on the screenplay. I say, you better get it right. And Dakota Fanning is rumoured to play Suzie. Well I think they should get someone who’s actually 14 to play Susie and I’d prefer to see someone…less famous.
The Picture of Dorian Gray. I love this book by Oscar Wilde. Dorian Gray is a young man who is blessed with wonderfully boyish good looks and his friends Basil Hallward the artist and Lord Henry Wotton tell him ever so often. When he sees for the very first time the portrait that Basil has been painting of him, he becomes ridiculously jealous of the painting. Why should he grow old and the man in the painting remains young forever? In a fit of jealousy he made a sold his soul. He would remain young and the painting wound age in his place. Now, does that not sound like a wonderfully interesting story? Yes? Yes, of course. Lets hope the movie can faithfully capture the book. Now there are actually two movies being made. One to be released this year starring David Gallagher as Dorian. David plays Simon in 7th Heaven…and if you have seen him before, you’d probably feel the same way, he is not Dorian!…but maybe I’m wrong. Dorian has a certain air about him and I pictured Ryan Phillippe to be the perfect Dorian, and he was at some time if I’m not mistaken rumoured to play Dorian in the 2007 movie. He would have been perfect. But now in his thirties, Ryan is sadly too old. Whatever it is this screen adaptation is what I am watching out for.
Look out for these 4 movies in 2006-2007.
