Directed by: Richard
LaGravenese
Starring: Alden
Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davis, Emmy Rossum, Thomas Mann,
Emma Thompson and Kyle Gallner
Genre: Teen, Drama,
Romance, Supernatural
Rated: PG-13
Based on the novel by
Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Ethan Wate thinks it’s just going to be another boring
school year in Gatlin, South Carolina, dealing with the same old people and
same dull events as always. Then he meets Lena Duchannes, the new girl in
school, and can’t keep himself away from her. As the two grow closer, secrets
are revealed, and Ethan learns more about his family, Gatlin, and the world
than he ever thought possible.
I have mixed feelings about this film. In my attempt to
decide my final verdict, I will lay down a list of what I did and didn’t like
about it.
What I did like:
The Acting: When I first watched the trailer, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Alden Ehrenreich as the leading man, but I ended up falling in love with him. He was sweet and charming, determined as well as vulnerable, all wrapped up in an adorably awkward package. He brought Ethan to life. Englert wasn’t bad as Lena either, giving her a strength that she didn’t have in the novel. She and Ehrenreich also seemed to share a natural chemistry, which helped me care about them as a couple. Jeremy Irons was everything I expected Macon Ravenwood to be – tall, well-spoken, and sophisticated. Emmy Rossum was another actor I wasn’t sure of – especially since she’s radically different from the Ridley in the novel, but for the film’s version she does her job well. Emma Thompson stands out the most, jumping from crazy bigoted church lady to the delightfully evil Sarafine with such ease. She seemed to have a lot of fun with the character and it showed in her performance.
The Cinematography: The backdrop for this film was beautiful. It really felt like the South, with the old plantation houses, ancient trees covered in Spanish Moss, and small town charm. The Castor sets were beautiful, with Ravenwood Manor being elegant and stylish and the Castor Library having an antique feel.
The Special Effects: While they are CGI, they are done well and very imaginative. I loved the spinning dining table, the appearance of writing in The Book of Moons, and the spell casting. The snow scene did look a little fake, though, and could have been done better with practical effects.
The Acting: When I first watched the trailer, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Alden Ehrenreich as the leading man, but I ended up falling in love with him. He was sweet and charming, determined as well as vulnerable, all wrapped up in an adorably awkward package. He brought Ethan to life. Englert wasn’t bad as Lena either, giving her a strength that she didn’t have in the novel. She and Ehrenreich also seemed to share a natural chemistry, which helped me care about them as a couple. Jeremy Irons was everything I expected Macon Ravenwood to be – tall, well-spoken, and sophisticated. Emmy Rossum was another actor I wasn’t sure of – especially since she’s radically different from the Ridley in the novel, but for the film’s version she does her job well. Emma Thompson stands out the most, jumping from crazy bigoted church lady to the delightfully evil Sarafine with such ease. She seemed to have a lot of fun with the character and it showed in her performance.
The Cinematography: The backdrop for this film was beautiful. It really felt like the South, with the old plantation houses, ancient trees covered in Spanish Moss, and small town charm. The Castor sets were beautiful, with Ravenwood Manor being elegant and stylish and the Castor Library having an antique feel.
The Special Effects: While they are CGI, they are done well and very imaginative. I loved the spinning dining table, the appearance of writing in The Book of Moons, and the spell casting. The snow scene did look a little fake, though, and could have been done better with practical effects.
What I Didn’t Like:
The Omission of Characters: In the novel, Amma is Ethan’s housekeeper. She has helped raise him, she takes pride in her cooking, and she is big on the practice of voodoo. She does not run the Gatlin County Library – that job belongs to Marian, the long-time friend of Ethan’s deceased mother. The film puts too much responsibility on Amma, combining her character with Marian’s, and doesn’t give Amma the ability to shine on her own. Both of these women play significant but different roles in Ethan’s life. I felt that forcibly combining the two watered down Amma’s character, and left nothing for a talented actress like Viola Davis to work with. Also missing are Ethan’s father (no big loss, he doesn’t play a huge role in the first novel), and the Sisters – Ethan’s three great aunts, who are hilarious in the novel and also provide a lot of the back story to the locket visions.
Larkin: While this character doesn’t play a super big role in the books, he is still relevant. In the film he is only in two scenes and we don’t even know what his powers are until the very end. His character isn’t really anything like he is in the novel and could have been left out entirely. This saddens me because a very talented young actor, Kyle Gallner, was cast in this role and was sorely underutilized.
The Flashbacks: These are supposed to play a pivotal role in the story, but Ethan and Lena don’t seem to care about them. We only see two, one of which is just a collection of random images that doesn’t seem to mean anything. The other tells a story that connects Ethan and Lena, yet the film gives it a brief discussion and skirts away from it. The flashback scenes were some of the most interesting in the first novel, and they explain the curse on Lena’s family and why Ethan is so drawn to her.
The Inclusion of Aspects from Beautiful Darkness: The film revealed a large plot point from the second book, involving Macon and Ethan’s mother – which I didn’t like. Also, Lena’s actions at the end of this film are very similar to those in the end of the second novel. I would have preferred to keep the two separate, especially if they want to continue the series.
No School Dance: This scene was my favorite in the book, and I really wanted to see it acted out. Who wouldn’t want to see Ridley give those popular brats a taste of their own medicine?
The Climax: While it was similar, I felt it lacked the action that it had in the book. It was missing a couple significant characters, fire, and violence. It feels the like climaxes of the first two novels in the series were mashed together poorly, screwing up the continuity of the rest of the series, should they continue to be made into films.
The Lack of Incubi: Macon Ravenwood is an incubus from a long line of them. In the film, he is nothing more than a dark castor turned light, but in the novel he is much stronger, both literally and in casting. The incubi play a significant role in the books, and I don’t see how the next two can be made into films without the inclusion of these creatures.
The Omission of Characters: In the novel, Amma is Ethan’s housekeeper. She has helped raise him, she takes pride in her cooking, and she is big on the practice of voodoo. She does not run the Gatlin County Library – that job belongs to Marian, the long-time friend of Ethan’s deceased mother. The film puts too much responsibility on Amma, combining her character with Marian’s, and doesn’t give Amma the ability to shine on her own. Both of these women play significant but different roles in Ethan’s life. I felt that forcibly combining the two watered down Amma’s character, and left nothing for a talented actress like Viola Davis to work with. Also missing are Ethan’s father (no big loss, he doesn’t play a huge role in the first novel), and the Sisters – Ethan’s three great aunts, who are hilarious in the novel and also provide a lot of the back story to the locket visions.
Larkin: While this character doesn’t play a super big role in the books, he is still relevant. In the film he is only in two scenes and we don’t even know what his powers are until the very end. His character isn’t really anything like he is in the novel and could have been left out entirely. This saddens me because a very talented young actor, Kyle Gallner, was cast in this role and was sorely underutilized.
The Flashbacks: These are supposed to play a pivotal role in the story, but Ethan and Lena don’t seem to care about them. We only see two, one of which is just a collection of random images that doesn’t seem to mean anything. The other tells a story that connects Ethan and Lena, yet the film gives it a brief discussion and skirts away from it. The flashback scenes were some of the most interesting in the first novel, and they explain the curse on Lena’s family and why Ethan is so drawn to her.
The Inclusion of Aspects from Beautiful Darkness: The film revealed a large plot point from the second book, involving Macon and Ethan’s mother – which I didn’t like. Also, Lena’s actions at the end of this film are very similar to those in the end of the second novel. I would have preferred to keep the two separate, especially if they want to continue the series.
No School Dance: This scene was my favorite in the book, and I really wanted to see it acted out. Who wouldn’t want to see Ridley give those popular brats a taste of their own medicine?
The Climax: While it was similar, I felt it lacked the action that it had in the book. It was missing a couple significant characters, fire, and violence. It feels the like climaxes of the first two novels in the series were mashed together poorly, screwing up the continuity of the rest of the series, should they continue to be made into films.
The Lack of Incubi: Macon Ravenwood is an incubus from a long line of them. In the film, he is nothing more than a dark castor turned light, but in the novel he is much stronger, both literally and in casting. The incubi play a significant role in the books, and I don’t see how the next two can be made into films without the inclusion of these creatures.
What I’m on the Fence About:
The Change in the Love Story: If this ends up being a stand-alone film, I can adjust to the differences in the love story. I understand Lena’s decision in the movie, and it works for the film version of the story, but it won’t if the series continues to get the film treatment. It doesn’t make sense with the story flow, and the next entries will have to be changed to follow this story arc, thus continuing to scramble the rest of the series.
The Change in the Love Story: If this ends up being a stand-alone film, I can adjust to the differences in the love story. I understand Lena’s decision in the movie, and it works for the film version of the story, but it won’t if the series continues to get the film treatment. It doesn’t make sense with the story flow, and the next entries will have to be changed to follow this story arc, thus continuing to scramble the rest of the series.
Overall, it’s not a bad film, but it is severely lacking if
you have read the books. I hope it remains a standalone film, because I don’t
want the rest of the series to be butchered due to the changes made to the
first story. Actors were underused and characters disregarded. What saves this
is that aside from the deviations from the novel, the love story is still
gripping to me and the acting, cinematography, and special effects were all
very well done.
6.5/10
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