Just us, the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark...

Friday, July 9, 2010

Friday's Top 5... Adaptations I'd Like To See


#5: Life of Pi

Once upon a time Jean-Pierre Jeunet (of Amelie fame) was set to adapt this book, which would have been awesome. Since then Ang Lee's name has been attached (so has the dredded term "3D") and budget issues have set things back. Hopefully some day this project will actually come to fruition.


#4: Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood

Margaret Atwood's tale of man-made apocalypse and its sequel are compelling (and kinda scary) books that could probably make an easy transition to the screen. The only thing about it that gives me pause are those "pigoons," which are super creepy in the books and, I would imagine, would be even creepier in film form.


#3: Not Wanted On The Voyage

Timothy Findley's take on the story of Noah's Ark is different in that it's a political allegory for gay rights specifically and civil rights in general. The role of domineering, hubris-prone Noah has Anthony Hopkins written all over it.


#2: The Price of Salt

I read this novel recently and was startled by how direct it is given its subject matter and the year in which it came out (1952). It's a beautifully rendered story and offers two great roles for women. I'm actually really surprised that it hasn't been adapted into a film already.


#1: Property

Property is about slavery. It's also about women's rights and about the relationship between citizen and nation. Everyone, in some way, is treated as "property." Like The Price of Salt, the story features two great roles for women in the form of Manon and Sarah, her slave. Get on it Hollywood!

2 comments:

Sam Turner said...

Must admit I've not read any of those although I have read other things by the same authors and Life Of Pi is somewhere within my house. Will try and pick up a few of these when I've cleared my current reading list!

Norma Desmond said...

I highly recommend all the books, though having to work through a reading list is something I totally understand. No matter how many books I read, mine always seems to be growing rather than shrinking.