I went in to the screening with very low expectations. I’d read both good and bad reviews, and was convinced I’d end up agreeing with the bad ones, as I doubted they’d be able to translate the book to screen in a good way.
It’s not a brilliant cinematic achievement, but I liked it. They managed to take they key points form the book and put together a good story for the film. The changes that had been made in settings or information were for the most part understandable, and as someone who enjoyed the book I have to say I was pretty happy.
I think people who have read the book will get more out of the story, as there are a few threads that never really get to the surface of the film. My main complaint of the film is the editing; it feels fragmented at times. Jumping from situation to situation without letting certain things really develop and some characters left by the side.
I have a feeling there are dropped scenes, and I hope there will be a slightly extended version available at some point as I think the movie would have benefited from an extra 15-20 minutes. I probably would have dropped the flashback and fantasy shots for more story, even though they were short I would rather have had more of the story.
