So last week was all about THE FRENZY! Script Frenzy that is. 100 script pages in 30 days. And I am happy to report that 102 pages later I came away A WINNER! Woo hoo! What have I won? Well…the right to brag about it. And also the angst of a long, arduous rewrite where I look over my pages and wonder, “What in the world was I thinking?!?” But, for now I’ll focus on the former and be satisfied with the fact that I’ve laid a new foundation of scriptyness.

I decided to write a play this time and it was an interesting exercise for me. I liked the fact that I didn’t have to grant painstaking attention to every last scene description.  And my characters also got to blab on and on and on. But the pressure comes in what they’re blabbing about – I want the writing to be realistic without being mundane, incisive without being cloyingly clever.  It’s never as easy as it looks, is it?

If you're in LA, see how it's done.

But, as I mentioned, the small victory comes in simply finishing that first draft.  A writer friend and I were discussing how easy it is to fall into the “noodling” zone where you obsess about those first thirty pages so much that a year goes by and you’ve still only got a first act to show for your efforts.  Better to just purge out that initial draft and then dive into the REAL work, which is the rewriting.

A BIG CONGRATS to my friend Kevin who was also a successful Frenzier!  While I always appreciate the structure offered by the online contest, it’s also nice to know that someone else is going through the same pain of a looming deadline.  THANKS for keeping me focused and motivated, Kev! Does this mean we don’t have to write something new until next April?

And while I’m offering up my gratitude, I’d just like to thank the universe for a beautiful royal wedding (yes, I was up all night to experience the pomp and circumstance live) and for bringing the hammer of justice down on public enemy #1.  What a dramatic turn of events!  (I’m looking forward to the cinematic retelling of the courageous Navy Six.  I vote for Kathryn Bigelow to direct.)

Smiles, everyone, smiles!

NEXT UP: Leaving on a Jet Plane…Again!

Yes, I admit it.  I’m feeling a little lethargic about this blog entry, so I figured I’d catch you up via pictures this week.  Here’s what went down with dlb…

MONDAY: My first day back in La-La land, so I caught up on my bills and bonded with the pets.

Living the dream...right?

TUESDAY: Kevin and I saw Tina Fey and Steve Martin “in conversation” at the Nokia Theater in downtown LA.  It’s part of a “Live Talks Los Angeles” Series that features various notables talking about notable stuff.   I’m not sure if the moderator is always as funny as Steve Martin, but I’m curious to check out more of these events.  In this case Tina Fey was there to discuss her new book Bossypants which catalogues her impressive comedic career.  Watching these two exceptionally talented people banter back and forth and talk about the business that is show was both entertaining and inspirational.  Thanks for inviting me, Kev!

Tina Fey & Steve Martin: Funny People Talking About Funny

WEDNESDAY: Matching bedroom furniture arrives.  I get to put it together.  And here I thought my IKEA days were behind me?

SOME assembly required, my butt!

THURSDAY: The panic/pressure/FRENZY of Script Frenzy.  The clock is ticking since the contest is over at the end of the month. (Yes, as in next weekend.)  I’m not even at the halfway point, but I did make some progress.  Plus, it felt great to be in the writing zone again.  Of course, my enthusiasm will change when I go back and read the pages I spewed out this week, but ignorance is bliss for now!

IN IT TO WIN IT!

FRIDAY: What better way to end the week than to hang out with my good pal JoJo and watch The Horrors of Spider Island as reviewed by Mike, Tom Servo, and Crow of Mystery Science Theater 3000?  Painfully funny.   Many of the MST3K episodes are available at your local internet rental store so check them out, movie-lovers!  You won’t be disappointed and you’ll feel pretty good about your own talents as compared to the dreck you’ll witness on screen. (I Accuse my Parents and Manos: Hands of Fate are two of my favorites.)

So bad it's good!

NEXT UP: The Frenzy Finish Line?

Yes, the Brenner girls (and friends Jenny and Jodi) took windy, rainy, chilly Chicago by storm this weekend – and I’m proud to say we CONQUERED it.  Of course, I was sad to miss the 10-year Anniversary Party for The Fairly OddParents that was happening simultaneously in Los Angeles, but your sister only turns 40 once, right? (Ah, Alicia, I feel your pain.  Oh wait…I mean, age ain’t nothin’ but a number!!!  Live it up, sis!)

Happy Anniversary, Fairies! You look terrific at TEN!

The weekend was filled with food and drink – and shopping by those who are gainfully employed (gainfully employed = not me) – and it was nice to be surrounded by the beauty of this special city.  I went to college outside of Chicago and VP Barbara lived here for a few years (in fact, it’s where she met CFO John), so I have a lot of fondness for all that the city has to offer.  For my foodie friends out there (Moniqueeeee!), we had two incredible dinners: on Friday night we went to SushiSambaRio which offered a fusion of Japanese, Peruvian, and Brazilian dishes (I know it sounds weird, but it was delicious!) and on Saturday night we enjoyed some serious gourmet food at North Pond in gorgeous Lincoln Park.  Celebrating forty certainly has its privileges.

Extreme Fine Dining

So now I return to La-La land.  And it’s definitely time to get back.  I think two-and-a-half weeks was a bit too long for me to be away this particular visit, especially so soon after moving into my new place.  For the past few days my head space has been cluttered, distracted, disoriented – yeah, I didn’t quite bring a consistently celebratory A-game with me to Chicago and I feel very bad about that.  (Please forgive me, travel companions!)  I think  I need a healthy dose of my dog and my cat and my pals and my Blu-Ray player.  I need to get back to the business of Deliberate business.  Oh yeah, and I have about 90 pages to go in order to complete Script Frenzy at the end of the month. <GULP!>  And have I mentioned the Nicholl Screenwriting Fellowship that requires submissions by May 2nd? (Check it out, Screenwriters: http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/index.html.)  Yeah, the next couple of weeks are gonna be busy…but restorative.

And then I’m back to Wisconsin as the hunt for investors continues! <Oy Vey!>

NEXT UP: State of the Union: What’s the buzz, Deliberate?

I admit I’ve felt a bit scattered during this recent trip to Madison.  While it’s always nice to be back in my Wisconsin home, I was also just starting to get settled into my new South Pasadena home.  So, I’m feeling a bit torn between two residences.  I guess I’d better get used to it now that I’m a gypsy indie filmmaker; however, it’ll be easier when “the girls” are with me full-time wherever I may be.  I’m definitely going through pet withdrawal.

Please don't forget about me, girls!

Not to mention the fact that I’m still adjusting to my life of self-employment.  I’m the task master of my own tasks and guess what?  I can be kind of a lenient task master.  Some days I’m in the zone and other days I just want to curl up with The Girl Who Played with Fire. (For instance: Today!)  I guess as long as I’m exercising my brain beyond a marathon of The New Housewives of Dubuque, I’m being mildly productive, right?

The Return of LISBETH!

The hunt for investors continues.  I have had some very good meetings and correspondence during this visit, many thanks to Executive Producer Dad.  While not everyone can open their checkbooks, I’m encouraged by the enthusiasm and support I’ve encountered along the way.  Each conversation has led to other potential conversations, so I continue to follow the yellow brick road.  I just have to remind myself that every independent film produced out there raised money somehow – it can be done.

This past Saturday I experienced two “firsts.”  1) I visited the quaint town of Mineral Point, Wisconsin and 2) I was there to watch a documentary film on Aldo Leopold.  Line Producer Nick Langholff invited me to the screening so I figured it was a chance to see an interesting film and touch base with Nick about Beneath the Surface. I’ve never been to Mineral Point before and as I drove through Southwest Wisconsin, I was reminded of the beauty of the state’s rolling hills and farm land.  I actually love to drive – especially in wide open spaces – and I think road trips have always provided me with the thinking ground for future stories and ideas.  Mineral Point, population 2400, is a special town filled with organic restaurants, unique art galleries, and a beautifully restored Opera House where Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time was screened for a very supportive community.

I’m more embarrassed to admit that I wasn’t familiar with Aldo Leopold.  Leopold lived in Wisconsin and taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He is credited with being the father of the conservation movement – and this is a man who died in 1948!  He wrote the book A Sand County Almanac which is a lovely, thoughtful collection of essays that serves as a tribute to nature and man’s role in it.  He’s been compared to Henry David Thoreau in terms of his poetic observations.  I’m so glad that the documentary acquainted me with Leopold’s significant impact on conservation.  Better late than never!

Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a particular month in which Leopold notes his observations from a beloved, much-visited shack along the Wisconsin River.  At the risk of highlighting my own lack of eloquence, I figured I’d share an excerpt of one of his passages from the month of April.  It speaks of the Draba flower…please enjoy!

Draba

Within a few weeks now Draba, the smallest flower that blows, will sprinkle every sandy place with small blooms.

He who hopes for spring with upturned eye never sees so small a thing as Draba.  He who despairs of spring with downcast eye steps on it unknowing.  He who searches for spring with his knees in the mud finds it, in abundance.

Draba asks, and gets, but scant allowance of warmth and comfort; it subsists on the leavings of unwanted time and space.  Botany books give it two or three lines, but never a plate or portrait.  Sand too poor and sun too weak for bigger, better blooms are good enough for Draba.  After all it is no spring flower, but only a postscript to a hope.

A Postscript to a Hope

NEXT UP: The Brenner Girls Take Chicago!

Let’s just dive right in, shall we?  Part two of my whether-you-want-them-or-not reviews of films I took in at 13th annual Wisconsin Film Festival!

Marwencol: This was my favorite documentary at the festival.  Peter the Prince attended this screening with me and he really dug it, too.  We meet the film’s subject Mark Hogancamp a couple of years after he suffered a brutal beating at the hands of five men.  The attack left him brain-damaged to the point where he had to relearn simple skills such as eating and dressing himself.  But the thrust of the film is about the fantasy world of Marwencol that Mark subsequently created in his backyard.  Using miniature action figures, Mark has constructed an epic World War II adventure story that mirrors his own life’s events; he even has an alter-ego in the form of a GI nicknamed Hogie.  He archives the story by taking dramatic photographs of the elaborate dioramas.  While the pictures serve as a therapy of sorts for Mark, there’s no denying their power in terms of their scope and artistry.  And when a New York City art gallery becomes interested in displaying Mark’s astonishing photos, you witness his struggle over whether or not he wants to share his private world of recovery with the public.  Like all good documentaries the film also rolls out some fascinating revelations along the way, but at heart it is a reminder that even the most devastating events can cultivate something of beauty and significance.  Marwencol is available on Blu-Ray and DVD on 4/12, so get it on your Netflix queue, people.  Seriously.

The Healing Powers of Creativity

The Color Wheel: This is a screening I will remember not only for the film but for the audience reaction to it.  The movie follows Colin and JR, a pair of bickering siblings who reluctantly take a road trip together when JR needs her brother’s help in retrieving her belongings from an ex-boyfriend’s apartment.  Director Alex Ross Perry (who was present for the screening) co-wrote and co-stars in the film with Carlen Altman, and the two aptly navigate acerbic, intelligent, darkly funny banter that masks a deeper emotional pain.  But Perry makes a choice very late in the film that is one of those moments that can potentially alienate an audience.  Based on the collective mass who opted not to stick around for the post-screening Q&A, I’d deduce that The Color Wheel alienated over half of the crowd at the screening I attended.  I was sort of astounded to witness all of the good will that Perry built up through his sharply-written characters and well-executed-for-such-a-low-budget film suddenly evaporate with a sizable chunk of the audience in the course of one scene – believe me, you could feel the shift in the theatre.  Of course, I’m sure he’s used to the response – bold choices bring about bold reactions.  And while I didn’t agree with the direction The Color Wheel took, I think Perry will be an interesting cinematic voice to follow and I appreciate the post-screening discussion he generated.  (And I’m also relieved that I took my friend Melissa to the screening and not Executive Producer Dad!)

Brothers & Sisters: Indie-Style

The New Year: I first saw The New Year at the Los Angeles Film Festival last June.  Director Brett Haley (who spoke before and after the screening) co-wrote the script with his sister-in-law Elizabeth Kenedy and shot it for $8K in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida.  Now that in itself is a feat, especially considering how great the film looks.  But beyond that, Haley tells a familiar story (sweet twenty-something searches for direction in her life) in a refreshingly honest, subtly emotional way.  And lead actress Trieste Kelly Dunn gives a heartfelt, captivating performance that is grounded in all of the pain and truth that occurs when searching for your life’s purpose.  I think hers is what is classified as a “breakthrough” performance – Dunn has a long career ahead of her.  Keep an eye out for both her and Haley.

Trieste Kelly Dunn & Brett Haley: I predict BIG THINGS for these two!

Anita: I will admit that if this film were American I would probably avoid it.  Anita is the name of the lead character, a young woman with Down’s Syndrome who finds herself lost in her home city of Buenos Aires, Argentina after a terrible bombing occurs in her neighborhood.  I was hopeful that a foreign eye on this type of subject matter would be able to resist the temptation to slide into treacly manipulation – and Anita did not disappoint.  That’s not to say it doesn’t pack an emotional punch; you’d have to possess a heart of ice not to be moved by this woman’s unique journey.  But director Marcos Carnavale comes by his emotions honestly…and not everyone Anita encounters is willing to help her.  In fact, most don’t know exactly what to do with her.  And therein lies the beauty of this film as it explores the worst and the best of human compassion.  I was happy to see that Anita won the Wisconsin Film Festival’s Audience Award.  Well-deserved, indeed.

A Different Type of Hero's Journey

Apparently, almost 36,000 tickets were sold at the Wisconsin Film Festival this year – and that amount grew from last year.  I was so encouraged by the support and enthusiasm shown by the audiences who flocked to this year’s festival; every screening I attended was packed if not sold out entirely.  As an aspiring independent filmmaker who hopes to make some movies in the state of Wisconsin, I’m emboldened by the love shown for indie cinema by America’s Dairyland.  Turns out Cheeseheads are pretty cultured! (No pun intended.)

NEXT UP: More from Madison

I came back to Madison for the 13th Annual Wisconsin Film Festival and, oh, what an impressive festival it was.  Over two hundred films were offered up over the five-day cinephile affair and I saw eight of them.  It was tough to choose when faced with so many interesting, diverse options, but I’m happy to report that there wasn’t a disappointing screening in my, albeit, small bunch.

Here’s the first group of my whether-you-want-them-or-not reviews…

A Somewhat Gentle Man: I took Executive Producer Dad to this one with me.  It’s a Norwegian film that stars Stellan Skarsgard as a recently released convict who is trying to piece his life back together.  I’ve always admired Skarsgard (not to mention his GORGEOUS son Alexander, currently seen on True Blood) so he was the draw for me in checking out this dark comedy.  And his performance does not disappoint.  Also, director Hans Petter Moland captures the perfect balance between the bleakness and the humor of the lead character’s post-prison life…with a teeny bit of heart thrown in.  Why is it foreign films straddle this type of delicate line far more successfully than most American films?  Plus, A Somewhat Gentle Man features one of the most cringe-inducing-yet-hilarious sex scenes that I’ve ever witnessed on screen.

Not Just Another Pretty Face

Bill Cunningham New York: Mom joined me for this one.  It’s a documentary about maverick photographer Bill Cunningham who’s been a staple at the New York Times for decades.  He’s known for photographing up-and-coming clothing crazes on the streets of NYC (think denim dresses, low-hanging pants, randy hats, etc.) and his pictures have had a significant influence on subsequent style trends in the world of high fashion.  Beyond that, the eighty-year-old Cunningham is a charming, inspiring subject – his passion for his work may be called obsessive, but his accomplishments have been achieved on his own terms.   Mom gives the film a big thumbs up, too. (And if you know Marcia, you know how much weight an endorsement from her carries!)

"He Who Seeks Beauty, Will Find It." - Bill Cunningham

Sasha: My sister Alicia stayed up late on a school night to check out this German feature with me.  It’s about a just-coming-out-of-the-closet young man who is in love with his piano teacher who is about to take a better post in Vienna.  As Sasha struggles with his unrequited feelings, he must also deal with the high expectations placed upon him by his Montenegro-born parents.  Like most foreign films, I appreciated Sasha for the subtlety of its storytelling as well as the strong performances offered by actors cast for their talent rather than pretty, botoxed faces.  Go, foreign films, go!

Love is Hard

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff: This is a documentary film for film lovers.  Born in the UK, Jack Cardiff was a Cinematographer who worked on classics like The African Queen, The Red Shoes, and, yes, even Rambo.  He’s considered to be one of the best in his field and this thoughtful film illuminates why – thank goodness the filmmakers were able to interview Cardiff before his passing in 2009.  He shares a number of entertaining and insightful stories about old-school Hollywood (example: the only two who didn’t suffer dysentery on the set of The African Queen were director John Huston and star Humphrey Bogart because they favored whiskey over water) and he emerges as a genuine artist whose study of painting and light created some of our most powerful and memorable cinematic portraits.

Yeah, I'm THE MAN!

NEXT UP: But Wait!  There’s More!  WIFF: Part Two.

I have some final thoughts on moving since it ended up being such a learning experience for me after nearly a decade of being in one location.  If my lessons can serve as a cautionary tale for those of you gearing up for such an exercise, then I will feel like ye olde bloggy has served a purpose beyond simply chronicling my filmmaking exploits.  I have a number of take-aways from my move that I figured I’d share with you, so here goes:

1. If you’re moving or even thinking about moving, START PURGING AND PACKING NOW!  I had my place on the market for seven months, but waited until the six days before the “Let’s Move It” truck arrived to truly take an inventory of my stuff.  After all, I was determined not to move anything into my new abode that was not going to serve an essential purpose.  And guess what?  I had LOADS of non-essential stuff to sort through.  Not fun.  (“Let’s Move it” is a GREAT moving company, by the way!  I highly recommend them for all of your relocating needs.)
2. Did I really need to hold onto ALL of those documents/bills/paycheck stubs?  I had checks dating back to my days at Disney TV Animation, for godssakes.  And since my social security number is plastered all over them, I had to invest in a shedder so they could be properly disposed of.  I think the worst item I came across was an instruction manual for a pencil sharpener.  A PENCIL SHARPENER.  Deirdre, Deirdre, Deirdre…your anal-retentive ways know no bounds!
3. Chotchkie, Chotchkie, Chotchkie!!!  So much to give away.  I hope the kind shoppers at the Out of the Closet thrift store enjoy all of the vases, votive holders, mugs, and picture frames that I accumulated through the years.  NEW RULE: If something new comes into my house, something old goes out!
4. Prepare to be merciless when ridding yourself of the aforementioned items.  A lot of the items I was holding onto were for potential undertakings that never even happened.  Yes, friends, I will not be hosting a fondue party or knitting you scarves as gifts anytime soon.
5. Stock up on dust wipes because there will be dust.  Everywhere.  Or perhaps it just speaks to my own housekeeping habits.  But I did a lot of dusting – books, shelves, glassware, etc.

In many ways, the dust issue represented something even deeper for me – a layer of dust that had descended upon my life.  It wasn’t until I had my old condo painted and repaired in spots – in anticipation of the sale – that I realized how I had settled into a routine of “just living with it.”  I was living with the peeling paint, the missing door knob, the chipped bath tub, the unfulfilled career path.  It’s lazy.  It’s uninspired.  And it’s not right.  Which is why the change that comes with this move is all the more meaningful to me.  No more “just living with it.”  In the words of one of my favorite R&B artists, Mary J. Blige, “It’s up to us to choose whether we win or lose and I choose to win.”  Well…I at least choose to dust more often and replace those light bulbs when they go out!

NEXT UP: The Wisconsin Film Festival – Deliberate’s reviews direct from America’s Dairyland!

The day before I left for Wisconsin an offer came in on my condo.  Perhaps it was because I watered the flower pot on my patio that contained St. Joe within?  Okay, for fear that I just sounded like a serial killer, let me explain: I’m referring to the belief that if you bury a statue of St. Joe in the ground or a planter outside your home you will have a better chance of selling it.  My brother Peter the Prince and his lovely wife Amy shared this idea with me because it worked for them when they sold their respective condos.  They also sent me a tiny plastic replica of the saintly worker, so I summoned up my inner-Catholic and dutifully buried Joe according to the strict instructions given: upside down and facing the front door.

I can’t fault St. Joe for taking seven months to find a buyer for my place.  He did bring offers my way.  Most of the hold-up was due to my own stubbornness at waiting for the right price.  (Hey, Lucy’s dog food ain’t gonna pay for itself!)  I’m sure Joe was as frustrated with me as my Realtor was.  But, eventually, the planets aligned and the right buyer came forward with the right offer.  And I was in escrow again.

Once I returned from my trip back home, I was in full apartment-hunt mode.  I saw a number of nice places (and a few soul-crushing ones), but I think it was truly destiny that landed me at my final choice.  My landlady – let’s call her Mrs. Roper – is a kindred spirit; not only is she from Wisconsin, but she went to my Alma Mater, Northwestern University, too.  She’s an older lady (her first husband served in WWII!), but I suspect she’s a real estate mogul.  The place I’m renting from her is one of many she owns in Pasadena.  And, oh, what a place it is.  I think my favorite part of it is the private balcony.  What a perfect location for cocktail hour!

A Room with A View

The pets are adjusting for the most part.  Lucy has actually been a real superstar.  I guess as long as she still has food and chew sticks readily available to her, she’s pretty content.

Easy to Please

Sophia was a typical cat.  She spent the first two days under either the bed or the treadmill.  And when she finally did come out, she mistook my oh-so comfortable comforter (you know, the one she sits on 90% of the time?) for her litter box.  Or did she?  I sense she was making a very effective point about her disdain for sudden change.  But, hey, I got a new comforter out of the deal and Sophia quickly and miraculously figured out where the box was located. (Never have I been so happy to hear the sound of paws scratching and digging.)  The new abode has a lot of windows, so I think she’s finally settling in.

Watching the world go by...

Part of the pact you make with St. Joe is that once the sale goes through, you must dig him back up and give him a place of prominence in your new home.  Of course, what room is more prominent than the TV room?  Now St. Joe is stationed atop a bookcase where he can look down upon me as I watch television. (Emphasis on the “look down” part when I’m watching The Bachelor.)  I do owe him a lot, though.  The sale of my condo is all part of the master plan for launching Deliberate Productions and finally living my dream.

Thanks, Saint Joe! I promise I'll keep the bad reality TV to a minimum.

NEXT UP: Final Reflections on Relocating

Hello, dear Readers! So sorry I’ve been off the grid for the past two weeks. I have been immersed in boxes and bubble wrap: yes, Deliberate Productions has officially relocated. And now I feel like Andy Dufresne in “Shawshank Redemption” as I finally rise out of the muck of the last week and come up for air.

Granted, I’ve moved from Pasadena to South Pasadena so it’s not exactly a cross-country journey. In fact, it’s about a two minute drive from the old place to the new one. But when you sign a lease on a Thursday because you have to move by the following Tuesday, the undertaking feels monumental. Especially if you’re anything like me and have ten plus years of accumulated stuff/chotchkie/junk to sort through.

It was certainly a learning experience and I intend to share more of my meaningless observations with you, but I’m afraid those blog entries will have to come early next week for, alas, I am without Internet service until Monday. (Oh, the humanity!) and as much as I enjoy typing on my beloved iPhone, it’s a bit slow-going and inefficient. And I don’t know how to incorporate photos from this particular platform and choosing pictures is one of my favorite parts about blogging. (Thank you, Google, for introducing me to a beautiful abundance of Keanu snapshots!)

So please be patient with me, friends, and I promise I’ll be back…with a bloggy vengeance!

NEXT UP: From Here to There

Oh, dear Anne Hathaway.  Try as you might (and TRY you did – to the point of collective wincing among my Oscar-viewing gang), all of the perkiness in the world couldn’t make up for the tux-adorned personality-void standing next to you on the Kodak Theatre stage.  James Franco, what happened?  Where did all of that natural charm and sexiness go?

I thought the show got off to a strong start with the opening skit that had Anne and James showing up in this year’s nominated films – and all framed by the idea that they were in the Inception-esque dreams of Alec Baldwin as narrated by Morgan Freeman?  Hilarious!  But then the enthusiasm settled into a generous serving of “meh.”  Of course it didn’t help that there weren’t any surprise winners during the ceremony. (And, oh, was I holding out hope that Hailee Steinfeld would provide the evening’s upset over Melissa Leo.  Even moreso after Leo’s tacky “performance” of a speech – UGH!)  However, I still throroughly enjoyed myself – fun friends and delicious drinky-drinks continue to make the whole evening bearable. (P.S. Loved Sandra Bullock’s dress!  She’s the poster lady for “You go, Girl!”)

Looking good *is* the best revenge!

So now we count down until next year…

I promised a post on books-to-film since I’ve seen a couple of recent adaptations: Never Let Me Go and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I always find it interesting to see how a screenwriter handles what must be the daunting task of shaping a literary world into a cinematic one.  How do you do capture a character’s inner life without relying on the crutch of narration throughout?  How do you condense the detail of a 400-page novel into a 120-page screenplay?  How do you satisfy the rabid book-loving fans who are devout in their dedication to the written word?  Suddenly, making up your own stuff doesn’t seem so bad.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo gets a solid A from me on all counts.  Based on the wildly popular novel by Swedish author Steig Larsson, the film does an excellent job of streamlining the storytelling and focusing on those elements that move the mystery-solving forward.  Screenwriters Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg choose to give a couple of relationships less attention (in order to keep up the momentum, I imagine), but never to the detriment of what’s important to the story.  On the flip side, they boldly portray some of the darker moments in the novel, putting all of that discomfort experienced on the page right in front of our eyes.  Plus, it helps that Noomi Rapace, the actress cast in the titular role of Lisbeth Salander, is positively perfect in it.  She inhabits the character’s fierce complexity with precision.  Rooney Mara has some big shoes to fill when she stars in David Fincher’s version.  Come to think of it, so does Fincher.

LISBETH vs. LISBETH

Alas, the film version of Never Let Me Go did not live up to its literary parent.  I was particularly disappointed because it was directed by the exceptionally talented Mark Romanek. (How has this brilliant filmmaker only made three movies?!?)  The novel was written by Kazuo Ishiguro (of Remains of the Day fame) and it is a beautiful, sad, highly unusual coming-of-age story.  To read it is to experience a series of impressions and I think Romanek deftly brings the appropriate dream-like quality to his cinematic storytelling.  Alas, the script is almost too efficient.  Despite a lovely cast (Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightly), character motivations are stripped of their subtlety in favor of behavior that’s more direct and on-the-nose, as if we movie-goers couldn’t figure out the esoteric interplay at work.  I doubt screenwriter Alex Garland underestimated the patience of his audience; rather, I imagine other voices worried that the film was already pushing the limits at 103 minutes (oh, the horror!), so simplifying some key moments was the choice that was made.  The unfortunate result is that the emotional power of the novel is never fully realized on the screen.

Ah well…perhaps comfort is to be found in a “Director’s Cut” that will emerge some day?

I'd like to see *your* version, Mark!

NEXT UP: The Relocation of Deliberate Productions