Friday, November 19, 2010

True romance?

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Hey Audrey

I know that you've acted in plays and movies based on novels, so I don't know how you'd feel about this. I recently watched 'The painted veil' (2006, directed by John Curran), and had a similar deeply emotional experience as years before when I saw the 'The English Patient' (1996, directed by Anthony Minghella). Both films were stunning, well acted and visually breathtaking. Epic dramas, set in exotic locations, that filled my head with all sorts of dangerous romantic notions. And of course the leading men: Edward Nortan in 'Veil' and Ralph Fiennes in 'English Patient': both heart-fluttering-dry-throat-jelly-knees-can't focus  hot hot hot men. In both instances I rushed off, bought the novels (written by W Somerset Maugham and Michael Ondaatje respectively) and eagerly started devouring them. In both instances I felt cheated by the films: the important themes in the novels had but little to do with the tragic love stories so beautifully depicted in the films. The films made me cry, but the books made me think, and think again. I wonder, does Hollywood not 'get' what the books are really about, or do screenwriters have to side step the real stuff in the novels, and flesh out the romantic love stuff so that we would actually watch the films....? How sad and stupid we are. Audrey, the novels are so much more.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Audrey. I'm working on both of these novels as a literature student. I really wonder what is similar or what is different in those novels. I'd appreciate if you share your thoughts with me.

    asiye

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