As someone who adores both cinema and
literature, I do get pretty excited when the two of them collide in the form of
a nice, little book-to-film adaptation.
Unlike some geeks who cringe at the very thought that their favourite book may get destroyed by a poor script and a terrible acting from some up-and-coming movie star (let’s be honest here: this could get very annoying very quickly), I am quite looking forward to those kind of films. Of course with the regular exception….Case in point: The Catcher in the Rye… Salinger did not want it adapted for the big screen during his lifetime, and why should we? That is a pretty easy book to mess up and I do not want to see that. Having said that, I am willing to change my mind if I see some ground-breaking, Oscar-worthy performance in it.
Anyway, in most cases the book is still waay better than the film. Naturally. I do not think I need to explain the whys and hows to this, it is just common knowledge – although there are a few exceptions. Today, I decided to talk about the film adaptations I am most excited for because 2015 looks like a pretty big year for this genre. Some old classics that have already graced the screens a few times before are revisited, as well as some never before filmed stories. So, here are the five book to film adaptations, coming out in 2015, that both me and you, should give a watch!
1. Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas
Hardy
Starting off with a classic, Far from the Madding Crowd has been
adapted for both the big and small screen a few times before. However, this new
version already looks quite good for a few reasons. Firstly, it is directed by
Thomas Vinterberg who also did The Hunt with
Mads Mikkelsen – a very good Danish drama that I highly recommend. Secondly, it
stars the lovely Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene. Seriously, this film has
no excuse to fail (it premieres on the 1st of May in the UK FYI).
For those of you unfamiliar with the
story it revolves around Bathsheba Everdene, who attracts three very different
suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer; Frank Troy (Tom
Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael
Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. A vivid story about passion and
courtship, it has Hardy’s signature in-depth descriptions of English rural life
and unapologetic study of sexual relationships. Hopefully all of that would be
translated to the screen, too, here is the trailer for Far from the Madding Crowd.
2. Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky
A book that has been on my to-read
list for quite some time and I will really try to get my hands on it before I
see the movie. Beginning in Paris on the eve of the Nazi occupation in 1940, Suite Française tells the remarkable
story of men and women thrown together in circumstances beyond their control.
What really makes this book a must in my eyes is the tragic story surrounding
its author: Irène Némirovsky herself was a successful writer of Jewish origin.
So, in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz, where she died. As a
result, Suite Française remained
hidden and unknown for 64 years.
Right after I read the book, I will
be amongst the first to watch the film too. Starring Michelle Wiliams, Margot
Robbie, Kristin Scott Thomas and Sam Riley, Suite
Française is already getting some serious critical approval. Here is the trailer.
3. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
Ah, Madame Bovary! Another classic that is going to be adapted yet
again for the big screen. This can go wrong in many ways, but for now we can
just dreamily long for the future moment when we are going to be able to see
its new film adaptation (it premiered on the London Film Festival last October,
but will be released worldwide in 2015).
Starring Mia Wasikowska as the
scandalous Madame, the films also stars Ezra Miller, Paul Giamatti, Rhys Ifans,
Logan-Marshall Green, and Downton Abbey’s
Laura Carmichael. As for the story, Madame
Bovary centres on a young woman who marries a small-town doctor, Charles
Bovary. However, she soon becomes bored with her married life and looks for new
excitements outside of it. Here is your saucy trailer.
4. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
Another book I have not read yet, but
I am really looking forward to the film. Because Tom Hardy.
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Directed by Daniel Espinosa, Child 44 is about secret police agent
Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy), who loses status, power and home when he refuses to
denounce his own wife, Raisa (Noomi Rapace), as a traitor. Exiled from Moscow
to a grim provincial outpost, Leo and Raisa join forces with General Mikhail
Nesterov (Gary Oldman) to track down a serial killer who preys on young boys.
Apart from having a great cast, the
film is based on English writer Tom Rob Smith’s debut novel that has already
been translated into 17 languages, and received quite a lot of praise in the
literature world. Read the book + watch the film and you’ve got yourself a
winner. Trailer is right here.
5. The Little Prince by Antoine de
Saint-Exupery
One of the greatest books ever
written coming to the cinema near you? Obviously, the only natural reaction to
that is to simply get super excited.
Set to be released some time in 2015,
Le Petit Prince is an animated movie
based on the beloved classic story about a little boy who travels the universe.
If you have never read it, please do yourself a favour and read it now. It is
so much more than a children’s book – touching on a range of profound philosophical
topics, this is a book that never gets old as with each read you find new
meanings to it. Not to mention, deeply touching and a truly emotional
rollercoaster, Le Petit Prince is a
true masterpiece.
P.S Sorry, for my lack of posts lately. Having started a new job is catching up with me, but I am starting to get the hang of it and hopefully will keep this blog up and going :)
