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Tuesday 9th April 2013
The Host
From the book of the same name by Stephanie Meyer. Time of show, 1305hrs, Cost of Tickets $6:00 each.
Cinema AMC Colonial 18
825 Lawrenceville-suwanee Rd
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
After all the hullaballoo surrounding the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, of course I had a little look at the books at the library. I'm only marginally interested in what has become Young Adult writing, and I've never had any interest in Vampires whatsoever. They weren't my thing at all.
I wasn't much interested when the book, "The Host," came along, but the original cover was so creative and was such a beautiful haunting image, well, I bought the book.
So sue me. I had no idea it would become my favourite book ever. Even eclipsing the riotous, "Fat Ollie's Book," by Ed McBain.
They HAD to make a film out of it. For some time, despite the clamour of the fans, not much happened until Saoirse Ronan signed on in about 2010. It meandered about in development hell until we were finally informed it was coming out in 2013.
It is fair to say that the critical acclaim has been missing. At Rotten Tomatoes the procrits give it 11%, while the audience gives it closer to 60%. Both are ridiculous low numbers, and would be for films which are utter crap. There's something else going on here, as if someone doesn't like Meyer's view of the world, or what, I don't know. The critics are unreasonably harsh, when they were gaga over the complete tripe that was, "The Avengers."
Do we not seek drama with tragedy and a happy ending any more? Do we just want explosions and gals dressed in leather? Big, hairy men dressed in spanx?
Maybe that is what we want. Shoot, weez in trubble.
The Host's essence is love, or perhaps the power of love. I have opined many times that it has parallels to the story of Jesus of Nazareth. That view has been universally mocked. Which makes me think I am an alien or as mad as a box of frogs. The similarities in the stories, the sacrifice, the re-incarnation, the trans-substantiation of a spirit/soul into another body?
Seems clear to me. Hah, wouldn't be the first time I've disagreed with the entire world.
The action takes place in some Western Desert location, later revealed to be New Mexico. I liked the peculiar white look of the scene making and the simple construction of the shops and their contents. Susan, my spouse stated that perhaps there could have been more introductory exposition as to why the Aliens/Souls came to Earth and took it over. On that point, there wasn't much exposition in the book, so if Director Niccol added it, I would have found it outside his aegis. Which is to tell the story in the book, even if he must truncate that, as film must.
Wanda's wander into the desert is much shaved from the book, which is a good thing. The spectacular car crash was a bit daft. Safe Volvo's might be, but surviving a roll-over at that speed would be beyond any human I know of. Dis is da movies, don't try that at home.
William Hurt out-Jebbed Uncle Jeb. He was perfect in a role which could have been cloying, but it was deftly done. Excellent work by a fine actor. Susan thought Hurt was Jeff Daniels. (She identifies anything in a beard and above 40 as Jeff Daniels.)
The young men, were handsome young men. Very tall logs of wood. Not required to do much acting, as is the modern way, and they had spent much time in the gym getting ready for their roles.
Diane Kruger was excellent as The Seeker. Not quite the creature of the book, but compelling and vulnerable at the same time. Long and lean, the camera enjoyed looking at her and her impossibly long, graceful legs.
To be fair, so did I:)
There's been a lot of rabbiting about how the double indentity of Wanda/Melanie was to be handled. Some people have been critical, but here's the thing, if you can't tone down your skepticism for a movie about Aliens coming and taking us over, when is it that you do? You must suspend disbelief, or no movies makes sense at all. Movies are about magic, and this was magic.
I found the voices off, with a different tone and accent to delineate the two characters convincing. Saoirse Ronan's facial expressions during this difficult technique just right. It was a fascinating challenge for the film maker and the actor, and they pulled it off. I have always said that I would have chosen Summer Glau for this role. Glau is perhaps too subtle, very technical and has an ethereal nature that would have given the role a different feel, for me.
Ronan was chosen and that's it, she did a great job. Whaddoino? I'm no director.
There is a scene in the book, in, "The Docs," room. Wanda stumbles on humans attempting to extract souls from taken over human bodies. This process kills both parties. It is a pivotal and tragic scene. The filming and drama of this scene and those that follow, with the representations of the souls/aliens was very convincingly done and beautiful, if tragic. It reflects the question Capt Adama asks at the beginning of Battlestar Galactica. "What we did, what we do, there has to be a purpose, what is it and is it worth it?"
At the end of the movie, I asked a few people close by what they thought of it. Most gave it 8/10. Maybe they were reacting to the rather strange man with the odd accent who isn't from rahnd heah. I choose to hope they were being honest.
I said right from the start that I would be happy if Niccol and his band of players took the project seriously and addressed its themes with care. They did that, in spades. In my opinion, it made a super movie. The haunting themes of vulnerability, love and the power of that love to supersede everything came through loud and clear.
I loved it. Ignore the critics and go and see it. 9/10
brendan
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Damaged case and dvd!
Cover came broke, dvd moving in the inside and when I looked at the dvd it was scratched up! Although good movie..
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