Appearance

I'm going to start to say, yes, it's predictable but as they say, "it's not the destinatination that's important, it's the journey".

This is a great hidden gem dug up by Netflix. It took them more than 3 years but someone loved this movie enough to dig it up and put it out there and right he/she was. Thank you!!!

I cried, I laughed and everything in between. It's the kind of movie that I like and the fact that it touches so many personal things that they cleverly intertwined in a good script makes it a movie that I love!!! The great performances of the actors not withstanding. And the excellent soundtrack. More of this later.

So, to understand why this movie touched me so, I have to talk about myself. It's not something people usually do in movie reviews but I will do it anyway. You can stop reading if you want.

You're still reading? Ok, then. First the little things. One of my favourite songs is "Lightning Crashes" from Live and as some of you have probably seen the movie as you're reading this, you know that it has a prominent part at some point in the storytelling. As we learn more about Sudeikis's character, we discover that music has a big part in his life. And the music, as in any good roadtrip, has a great role to play here. And of course it's the kind of music that has a lot of meaning in my life too.

I've been an amateur photographer for a decade and this end of Kodachrome, as a symbol of the end of analog....the coming of age of the digital era and the dissappearance of physical media. Not unlike "The Secret life of Walter Mitty" it talks about stopping time to enjoy what we have, see or hear instead of the digital mass consumption. Not ironically did I watch this on Netflix....

Yes I understand That every life must end

These are the first words from a song from Pearl Jam used in the movie. And as I understand them completely, it is always hard to lose someone close. I lost my father too soon to prostate cancer. I discovered grief. I reassure you, my relationship to my dad was more of the positive kind, at least, when I was an adult. But he was, at times, not an easy man. So, yes there's a little bit of Ben in him or is it the other way around?

And as much as this movie talks about photography, love for art, broken hearts, regrets, nostalgia, legacy, life choices,.... it talks mostly about loss, and does it very very well.

When I was 12 years old, I saw a trailer on TV for the TV miniseries. They mentioned it was forbidden for the "under 12", so, of course I had to see it. What followed was one of the most scary but invegorating tv experiences of my young life. I could'nt sleep very well the following nights. Strange thing, though. I hadn't had enough. When I found a pocketbook display in the local supermarket with "it" part 1 I asked my mother to buy it .Well, I asked to buy directly the three volumes but my track record with books wasn't really great to say the least. Until then. True enough, "It" made me start to read for pleasure. And I never really stopped afterwards....

I watched the TV miniseries only again once when it came out on DVD...more than 27 years ago...So, what follows is a review of both movies tainted by my 27 year old experiences...

I watched the two chapters in a double screening. The book was kind of being cut in two. It was the only way I could experience this new adaptation.

So I think the movie was great. I was not disappointed at all. This adaptation is one that the book deserved. Chapter II lasts almost 3 hours and it didn't seem that long at all!

The casting is great. Special mention for the adorable Sophia Mellis who portrays an amazing young Beverly. The effects, the general creepy atmosphere. "It" is a great horror drama....

BUT... (I feel a little bit like a daddy who's kid has great grades but is hammering on the flaws...so be it) Three things bothered me.

First, one of the great things in the book is the sense of togetherness of the group. Stronger together... I missed that a little bit in this modern version. An exemple I can give is the way the "cleaning Beverly's bathroom together" scene lost all it sense the way it was directed and edited. I was like " what the hell?" And I think, in general, the main characters were more alone than I remember in the book.

Secondly, the appearances of IT felt a little bit too much. It felt like the director was showing off ..."See what I can do!!" .A little voice in my head was saying "why doesn't he kill them already?"(I know why....)

Thirdly, "It" is a being that feeds on fear. (that's why!)...That being said.. in this version we see IT eat/bite a lot....why?

Lastly, the whole origin story of IT with the Amerindian sacrifice ritual felt bogus and forced. Was that in the book?

Anyway I think they did a great job. I just needed those little grievances out of my system. The special collector director's cut box is probably going to find it's way on my shelf

Enjoy IT !;-)