Golden
This weekend we have braved Chester and its hordes of shoppers in the rain (me); been to Tumbletots (C and M); ordered some very expensive bespoke furniture for the living room (me and C); had a haircut (C and M); had a lovely chinese takeaway (me and C and C’s parents); had a rotten night mostly awake (T and me and a bit C as well); been to Borders (C and M and C’s parents), the garden centre (everybody but me) and the supermarket (C); been to a very manic 4th birthday party (me, M, T) of 20-odd children; cooked a mammoth not-Christmas roast (me and C’s mum) and been to the cinema (me and C)! Phew.
We saw the golden compass. I was really excited about it coming out: the books are comfortably within my all-time top ten favourites. Then, last week, I had a chat with Mia, who made me a bit nervous by citing all the other loved books that had been spoilt a bit by being filmed. Well, Mia, it hasn’t spoilt anything. The imagery was great; the acting was good: Daniel Craig might not be my Lord Asriel but Nicole Kidman was a far better Mrs Coulter than I had expected and the rest of the casting was lovely. Roger was just gorgeous and I liked the goldy sparklies which showed her interpreting the alethiometer.
I don’t think it will have inspired Cameron to read the books (I so want him to), but I don’t think he hated it either.
It was very rushed: quick, Lyra, run away, then on a boat then oops off we go to the north have a battle quick quick – but the books are so dense I suppose it had to be – particularly as it is, I suppose, meant to be a children’s film (it was 2 hours as it is); equally, it was enormously simplified and none of the characters were given much depth. Hester, who I love so much I nearly named my second baby after her, was merely a pair of (gorgeously long) ears and a couple of lines.
It might have made a better television adaptation – a series, to give time for character development and detail – but I’ll be hare-footing (geddit? ha ha) along to the next one if and when it is released.
December 11th, 2007 17:54
I really enjoyed it too and like you thought Nicole Kidman was very good as Mrs Coulter. I particularly liked Lee Scorsby he was just as I imagined. I thought it was quite short and could have been a bit longer allowing more detail, but really enjoyed it.