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Message |
    
Karim Ghahwagi (Karim)
Username: Karim
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 212.97.200.24
| | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2008 - 10:24 am: | |
Scott Smith's novel of the same name was in my top ten of the best horror novels last year. When I heard that Smith also had penned the screenplay-as he had done with his brilliant debut- A Simple Plan 11 years previously- I have to admit I was very exited.
The film is a complete disappointment unfortunatly. The film's director- Carter Smith (No relation) delivers a very safe and boring stride through the story. This is his debut feature, having been scouted by Dreamworks at Sundance where he had made a very strong short called Bugcrush. That film achieves everything that The Ruins does not. Photography by Dharius Kondji (Seven, The Beach, Panic Room, Delicatessen etc) is surprisingly completly invisible in this picture. The extent of the cinematography in this film is slightly shaking hand held camera work in moments of tension, and is otherwise a boring affair.
The film is also too short giving us no time to get under the skins of the main characters and experience the build up of dread which is just sublime in the novel. |
Tony (Tony)
Username: Tony
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 86.161.253.183
| | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2008 - 10:31 am: | |
I had a feeling this would be bad; the trailer was so full-on, showing-its-knickers-too-early-in-the-date (which in reality you might appreciate, he says wistfully). |
Grant (Grant)
Username: Grant
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 131.156.226.96
| | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2008 - 03:53 pm: | |
I was thinking about picking this book up... |
Weber_gregston (Weber_gregston)
Username: Weber_gregston
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 83.98.9.4
| | Posted on Monday, April 21, 2008 - 06:01 pm: | |
I hate it when a film trailer gives away scenes from the end of the film.
The trailer for "a Scanner darkly" has a clip from the big twist ending in it. Thank god I didn't see the trailer before the film. It would have completely wrecked it for me. |
Tom_alaerts (Tom_alaerts)
Username: Tom_alaerts
Registered: 03-2008
Posted From: 81.242.9.225
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 10:55 pm: | |
I read The Ruins when it was released and sadly I wasn't so fond on the book - in my opinion very slick, commercial stuff.
I expect that the scene with the missing mobile phone ringing must work well on the screen though. |