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Reviews
The Book of Henry (2017)
Ignore the critics. This is a terrific movie
I loved The Book of Henry. A moving, quirky, courageous film with heart and intelligence. A young genius, his insecure younger brother, their mother who has abdicated her role as adult, are all transformed by a girl in peril and a tragedy that blindsides them. The events of life are often out of our control and how we deal with the losses, how we rebuild our lives can define us. The acting is superb. The script has twists and turns and depth. The direction brings it all together into an emotionally satisfying, beautifully paced film. Do not miss your chance to see The Book of Henry.
Room (2015)
Best Movie of the Year
Having read Emma Donoghue's novel ROOM, I was looking forward to the film adaptation. I suspect she could have sold the film rights to a big name director like Peter Jackson or Steven Spielberg. We would have been treated to a talking egg snake or an animated plant. Sometimes too much money doesn't make a better film. ROOM is proof of that. ROOM is proof that less is way more, that subtlety and nuance is far more valuable than every special effect that money can buy. Ms. Donoghue was protective of her work and it paid off. She went with a director who understood the novel and who was willing to collaborate with the author. Director Lenny Abrahamson has brought ROOM beautifully to life on the screen. The director is true to the feel of the novel. Donoghue has done a terrific job on the screenplay. And the two lead actors totally inhabit Ma and Jack. Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay deserve every great review, every award they can get. Tremblay isn't just a talented child actor. He's a talented actor. He's extraordinary, present in every moment he's on screen which is pretty much every scene of the movie. Larson shows us so many layers of Ma, a young woman who is trapped and needs her young son to help her win their freedom. We feel her love for her son, her fear for his future, her frustrations and her battles with the after shocks of life in Room. ROOM is a beautiful film about the life saving love a mother has for her child and his love for her. The only thing I wish was that ROOM had gotten wider distribution. It's a film that is a must see.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (1968)
A mediocre adaptation of a towering novel
The book is so superior to this pale adaptation. The change to the sixties from the Depression era nineteen thirties hurts it terribly. Not a very good script, it just strips the entire mood of the book and simplifies it to a fault. The character of Singer in the novel is far more moving and complex. We feel his pain in the book at being everything to everyone while no one truly makes the effort to know him. They use him as a reflection of their own feelings and never think or consider his feelings. The time period change is a mistake. It was likely cheaper to film in the time period the film was made than to recreate the Depression era, but it drains the life out it. Read the book and you'll understand how much the Depression era time period, the world on the verge of WWII, adds to the story. The book is extraordinary in its interweaving of characters who are searching for meaning in their lives, with Singer at the center. If ever something cried out to be remade it is The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. It needs to be done right on film.