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MOVIE NEWS: The Time Traveler's Wife

The movie adaptation of bestseller The Time Traveler's Wife (by Audrey Niffenegger) is almost here. Here's the official trailer...what do you think?

FRIDAY FLICK: Twilight

The film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s teen vampire romance novel, Twilight, has been out in cinemas for a while now, but I've been dragging my heels about seeing it. 

I was strangely reluctant to even read Twilight (although I’ve no idea why – given that I was more than happy to follow the adventures of one boy wizard for a decade), but I’m so glad I did.  The book is beautifully, dreamily written and I was instantly hooked.

You see, the real reason I was wary of the film is because I’m now reading Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the series, and I didn’t want the complex emotional world that Meyer had created in my head to be toppled by a dumbed-down, effects-laden Hollywood version.

Happily, Twilight isn’t like this at all.  It begins with the teenage Bella narrating, just as she does in the book, “I had never given much thought to how I would die....”, as she leaves her scatty mother in hot, dusty Phoenix, and travels to the permanently-overcast town of Forks to live with her father.

Kristen Stewart, with her haunted good looks and wry delivery, is a pitch-perfect Bella – shy, brainy and perhaps more mature than her parents.  There’s a slight cinema verité element to everything – all the dialogue and interactions feel very realistic, from Bella’s gruff reunion with her equally awkward father, to  the various jolts and discomforts of starting at a new school.

But a contrasting romantic atmosphere takes over when Bella meets the pale, enigmatic Edward (again, played to perfection by Robert Pattinson) who compounds Bella’s discomfort by seeming to think that she smells bad.

But when Edward moves at impossible speed to physically stop a van from ploughing into Bella, she decides she needs to know more.  Despite Edward’s warnings that Bella should stay away from him, he’s equally drawn to her. 

Which is when Edward confesses that he’s a vampire – one of a family of vampires who have all taken an oath to avoid human blood. Bella falls for Edward, and you can see why.  The boy can really smoulder (which I noticed despite Pattinson being several millennia my junior...). 

But since Edward thirsts uniquely for Bella’s blood – “you’re like my own personal heroin supply”, he tells Bella - can it ever really be safe to love a vampire?

Twilight is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who brings her indie documentary-style realism from her previous films Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, balancing it perfectly with the romance and suspense of the love story and supernatural aspects.  And it's so refreshing to see a novel adaptation that neither ignores the plot nor hamstrings itself by following the novel too faithfully.

There are a few really nice moments - at one point, Edward catches an apple Bella has dropped in lovely reflection of the cover of Meyer's book. Also, there's a scene where he plays piano - an irrational movie pet-hate of mine is when the actor clearly can't play and is just miming, but Pattinson actually plays - in fact he composed some of the music for the film.

All in all I thought it was fantastic, and I’m excited now that Meyer’s second novel in the series, New Moon, is currently in production with both leads on board.  It’s a great compliment to them that I didn’t for a minute think of Kristen Stewart as “the daughter from Panic Room” or Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory, because I’m usually such a film nerd.  In fact, I even forgot Pattinson was English. 

I left the cinema on a blissful cloud of gothic romance.  I asked the friend I’d dragged along what she’d thought of it.  She hadn’t read the book, and a lot of her motivation for accompanying me was around the sweets I’d bribed her with.

“Well,” she said.  “It is really a movie for fifteen year old girls.  But I loved it, because I’m a fifteen year old girl at heart.  Aren’t we all?”

My thoughts exactly.

Sex and the City - the book of the movie

Whilst wandering through my local book store I came across this glorious book. It has been out for a few months now so I don't know how I missed it, but it's a book of the Sex and The City movie. As I flicked through I found stunning photographs from the film, some insider information and covers of Carrie's actual books (so she is real!).

There are also interviews, a delightful array of photographs of Carrie's outfits and notes from the designers. (It does contain spoilers though so make sure you've seen the film first.)

Related posts: Reading Sex and the City | Friday Flick: Sex and the City | Sex and the City: The DVD

Yet more Shopaholic casting news

Eep! One of my favourite actresses - Joan Cusack - has signed up to the Shopaholic movie along with John Goodman. They will play Becky Bloomwood's parents.

Then, I read on Digital Spy that John Lithgow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lynn Redgrave, Leslie Bibb and Julie Hagerty have also joined the cast.

Related posts: More Shopaholic casting news | First photo of Shopaholic movie

MOVIE MAGIC: The Yiddish Policeman's Union

Michael Chabon (The Wonder Boys) and the Coen brothers in the same sentence? Yep, it's my dream come true. Well, one of my dreams. There's the one with Clooney and Depp and Cusack, but we'll gloss over that...

The Coen brothers are going to adapt Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union. It's a tale set in an alternate-reality Alaska, with an alcoholic cop investigating the death of a heroin-addicted chess prodigy who may or may not be the Messiah. Can't wait.

Related posts: Movie Magic archives

Writers go back to work

Yay! An agreement has been reached and the 100-day Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike is officially over. A back-to-work order was approved by 92.5% of the WGA members.

The Oscars ceremony can now go ahead as planned, TV shows such as House and CSI will be back in production, and, most importantly, writers get a fairer payment deal for their work.

[Via Variety]

Related posts: Latest WGA strike news | Golden Globes ceremony cancelled

FRIDAY FLICK: Music and Lyrics

Music and Lyrics isn't adapted from a novel, but it is about the creative process. And it's a delightful romantic comedy that will brighten up your Friday evening.

Alex Fletcher is a likeable, self-deprecating former pop star who ekes out a living on the eighties nostalgia circuit. He hires Sophie Fisher to water his plants while he's away.

Then Alex gets an exciting opportunity: Cora, a successful pop starlet wants him to write her a new song. The catch? He's only got four days to do it in...

Luckily, Alex discovers that Sophie has a flair for writing lyrics and he convinces her to help him. Okay, that sounds pretty contrived, but the film quickly focuses on the interplay between the characters and does so very well.

The leads (Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore) are an absolute delight to watch and the characters well-developed. The supporting characters and actors are fantastic, too, rounding out the film nicely. Haley Bennet plays the Shakira-like starlet in a hilarious dead-pan manner, while Kristen Johnston is Sophie's wise-cracking big sister.

Also, this may be the most likeable role I have ever seen Hugh Grant in. There is nothing quite so endearing as a man who is willing to laugh at himself.

In fact, the hilarious video of Alex Fletcher's eighties pop hit - 'Pop Goes My Heart' - is worth the price of the DVD alone...

BOOK NEWS: Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It to a Theater Near You - for Better or Worse

Interested in how films are made? Polishing your own screenplay as we speak? David Cohen's new book describes the process of taking an idea for a film from the first concept, to the script and - finally - the screen.

Cohen interviews Hollywood screen writers and looks at the fortunes of 25 movies including Erin Brockovich, Lost in Translation and Monster's Ball.

Aimed at aspiring screen writers, the book is also packed with advice on how to sell your script - and how to protect it once you have. It's out in the US next week, but I haven't managed to find a UK release date yet...

Related posts: The Crusie/Mayer writing workshop | Screenwriters on strike!

Caprice Crane directs

Okay, you already know we adore Caprice Crane here at Trashionista, but did you know that she may be a robot?*

No? Well, what other explanation is there for a woman who writes such unfeasibly good fiction, is working on book number three, has just written a comedy screenplay (called 'Shorty' according to her website) and has still found time to direct a short film? Hmmm?

Titled Passing The Time, the film can be found on Caprice's MySpace.

* Yes, I am aware she could just be very talented and hard-working and spend less time watching DVDs than I do. Darn it.

Related posts: Guest Blog: Caprice Crane | Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane

MOVIE MAGIC: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People

I was very excited to read that Toby Young's hilarious How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is being made into a film.

Better still, it stars the frankly brilliant Simon Pegg. Pegg plays Sidney Young, the British writer struggling to fit in at a high-profile New York magazine.

The film also stars Kirsten Dunst, Jeff Bridges and Gillian Anderson, and is scheduled for an October release.

[Via Independent]

Related posts: The Sound of No Hands Clapping review | Movie Magic archive