denisejhale

I took my sons to see this movie, I'm afraid none of us have read the books so can only judge as a movie. The plot was easy to follow and the script was good. And, for once, it was good to see British people in a children's movie behaving like real British people. Only the 'baddies' seemed stereotyped, the Nazi-type woman is probably Helga's (Hello! Hello!) grand-daughter, the main American was flash and crass with strange side-kick (echoes of James Bond baddies) and there was an emotionless East-bloc spy, however best baddie was probably Bill Nighly as head of Britih operation. Anyone remember advertising campaign featuring Bank Manager in your wardrobe, well Bill's character reminded me of this and I could also imagining him stepping out and interrupting your erotic moment in order to discuss your overdraft.

But back to movie, which we all enjoyed and at end my younger son commented that it would be first in series. Maybe but whilst men in thirties/forties can do 4 to 5 movie and show few signs of ageing, teenage boys may be able to do 2 or 3 at most. Otherwise, they have an excellent formula ready and waiting.

I admit to knowing nothing about the book(s) this movie is based on. I selected it as I thought it would appeal to the boys in my life, it did. Aged 44, 13 and 9 they all enjoyed, but, to me, it was a weird mix of historical surroundings, sci-fi, and literary characters. (Although the identity of the American agent as Tom Sawyer was not something I picked up on in film, only realising when I visited this site).

The special effects were good (although I wondered about the damaging effect of the ship's wake on Venice), the fight scenes dramatic enough, Dorian Grey, although good-looking, was a tad older than I would have expected , the twist of loyalty obvious.

I have feeling that a sequel may be in the offering, if so the boys can go without me!

This is not the first of Evelyn Waugh's books to be adapted for visual entertainment. In the late ‘70's Brideshead Revisited was adapted into an excellent television drama that spanned several weeks allowing character development that is not impossible in a 90-minute film. Merchant Ivory used their skills of pacing and lavish cinema photography to produce a terribly poignant adaptation of A Handful of Dust. However Vile Bodies presents its adaptor with a number of problems. It is quite a short book and Waugh's first success. Like Jackie Collins's novels of the ‘70's/'80's (and even Richard E Grant's By Design) part of its success was in the recognition of the real people behind the thinly disguised characters. Now, of course, these 20's celebrities are mainly unknown to today's readers. Waugh himself acknowledges that:- `The composition of Vile Bodies was interrupted by a sharp disturbance in my private life and was finished in a very different mood from that which it was began. The reader may, perhaps, notice the transition from gaiety to bitterness.'

Although Waugh viewed the book as a comic one, which it is, I felt that his own awareness of the tragedy of life came through by the end. Therefore I was uneasy with the Hollywood `happy ending' that Mr Fry had concocted.

It is very difficult to be objective about your own work and Stephen Fry not only directed this film he wrote the screenplay. I'm not completely aware of the whole process of filmmaking but I felt that there were areas in the film that would have benefited from someone else's input. For example; there were a lot of very short scenes at the beginning of film and towards the end a long monologue. Both of which irritated for different reasons.

Amongst the main characters Miles (Michael Sheen) and Agartha (Fenella Woolgar) enliven the film, as they were meant to. Our hero Adam (Stephen Campbell Moore) is likable and good-looking enough and his situation affords him our sympathies. The heroine Nina (Emily Mortimer) is beautiful, exquisitely dressed but a little too self-absorbed to be totally likable. Although I'm a fan of Richard E Grant in a film of many famous cameos his is not one that stands out. Although he successfully oozes the disapproval that his upright Priest characterisation requires. More memorable are John Mills zestfully sniffing cocaine and Peter O'Toole portrayal of Nina's father. Every scene seems to contain a well-known, British actor in a supporting role and, without exception, all their performances in this film were well executed.

Stephen Fry states he would like to direct again. I hope he is given that chance. Although the film has a few flaws it is not a bad movie and it is British. Our problem, as an industry, is that we make so few films but we expect them all to be brilliant. Stephen may not have produced a diamond but, despite the limitations of the original plotline, it is definitely a diamante.