Film Night: The Illusionist, book burble.

[erastes]

Most of you have already seen this, I'm sure.  But I liked it. I was talking to Bad Mother today about how I'm completely naive when I watch films.  When I read a book I'm always trying to work out what's going to happen but with a film I never think about stuff until it hits me. I'm fodder to the film maker. I'm the one with my jaw dropping.  :)  the only things wrong with the film wereEd Norton's horrible beard and the fact that the film broke just before the Illusionist came on stage for the first time, and when they started it again it was AFTER the orange tree illusion so gawd knows how much we missed.

I've just finished "Children of Men." on DVD. Bleak, wonderfully done, but standard ending. I'd like it to have ended like it would do in real life.

One more week and I have 10 days off, and OMG I really need them, I have a lot of PC work to do, as well as writing, editing, submitting, finding agent, finding a home for transgressions.  I really have second-novel-itis about Transgressions...  I'm not saying Standish has been a SUCCESS! but it's had a favourable welcome, and I hope that later in my writing career people will find it as my first and not find it awful.  Actually thank god that Standish wasn't a big success. How the hell do people cope?  Laurie Lee never did, I know (until very recently)

I had fun over on Lust Bites, by the way. They say I'm the best guest they've had so far. *blushity* (This is only because I have no life and I had the time to reply to comments, the way I can't do on LJ any more) but it was fun and people were nice enough to ask a shedload of questions. I plan to do a chat in May, so more on that later.

Why isn't it Friday night? I have lots of nice pink wine....

Comments

[liebesdammerung.livejournal.com]

OMGGGGGGGGGGGG THE ILLUSIONIST!!!! I lerv that movie.

I also lerv you. ♥

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Norton was truly wonderful. I know he's not underrated, or underused, but still - he's SUCH a good actor and I don't think I've seen him in a bad film. To me, he's on a par with Tom Robbins, another one who doesn't sell out and doesn't make crap.

The Illusionist

[ter369.livejournal.com]

This was the first time I've seen Paul Giamatti, so thank goodness it was really all about his character. He captured a type, and look, of late 1800s Viennese bureaucrat, a bit like Handsome Charlie (mayor Karl Lueger); which is more period inspiration than I expected from a story that made up some random Crown Prince, in lieu of the real Rudolf, who would be perfect fodder for a story like this.

Re: The Illusionist

[erastes.livejournal.com]

They could EASILY have woven the Mayerling story into this, and I'm surprised they didn't - but it was easy enough to unhinge my history head and do AU Vienna. Lovely sets and costumes and the town was incredible. I only really objected to Sophie's make-up which was not at all truthful, annoying when they'd gone to such lengths to do so much else well.

Re: The Illusionist

[ter369.livejournal.com]

Lovely sets and costumes and the town was incredible. I only really objected to Sophie's make-up which was not at all truthful, annoying when they'd gone to such lengths to do so much else well.

I've spent what adds up to several months of my life in Vienna, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The film's town sets looked nothing like Vienna, so they might as well have set it around Prague in fiction since they filmed there in fact. It all looked cheap to me, and the fuzzy cinematography ("Ooo! Ye Olde with maybe-magic!") added to that.

I have the same problem when bits of other UK cities are passed off as past-times London on a large scale. I'd rather focus on what the characters are doing than on production values that distract. Toronto and Vancouver play many USA cities in endless films and TV shows, which distracts me with the cheapness. I mean, pay Hugh Jackman less and film in freakin' New England. That will mean something to many viewers, and be an authentic image for people who will never visit. If location isn't the main weight of the story, then let's really save money and go back to sound stages with today's CGI.

Or just paint it all in digitally, like 300, where the story point was not about This Really Happened. The Fountain created unknown worlds along with Spain and the Americas during the time of the Conquistadors, but the focus was tightly on the people, expanding only for the metaphysical made manifest. I wasn't looking for "Did they recreate The Alhambra?" because we saw only corridors and a tiny chapel. The problem for The Illusionist is that the story tension rests on what is real. More reality, in locale and visuals, would add to the impression that something beyond the normal could be in play. When the point is to trick the audience, every element counts.

My response here is mostly due to disappointment in a slew of historical fiction I've picked up lately, where the research seems based on the first ten hits on a Google search return and setting feels like what other novels say those cities are like.

More importantly, Huzzah for your 2k word count!

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

Children of Men the book had the same effect on me. I liked the basic premis but it ended dissapointingly when I felt she could have done so much more with the theme.

Lust Bites looked fun, I enjoyed reading all the comments back and forth. It ate my comments so I gave up but it looks like a lively community to follow.

Standish

[lilian-cho.livejournal.com]

I just want to tell you that I love the first half of Standish! :-D

Then, you know, The Event That Shall Not Be Mentioned happened, and I can't deal with reading the second half for now. *is such a bad reader*

When I get around to reading the second half I'll give you a proper review, but for now:

I love Standish's character--how deep down he has this wish to take charge, and how it comes naturally to him when the occasion arises. And I find his fascination with botany endearing.

Also: the boy's worship of Napoleon is just inexplicably cute.

And the sexual scenes is, as always, joltingly hot.

<3

Re: Standish

[erastes.livejournal.com]

The Event in Paris? or in Venice?

I'm so glad you are enjoying it, hun! Thank you so much for letting me know.

xxx