Nim's Island
Mini Review of Nim's Island
I really wanted to like this movie. It had Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler (in dual roles) and was about a neurotic---er, hardworking writer that sets out to save a child.
The little kid, Abigail Breslin, was cute and believable in the movie. Gerard Butler was very good, especially when he was playing Foster's funny alter ego hero. And Foster was good at playing neurotic, but together they didn't seem to have any chemistry. I know. Hard to believe any woman couldn't have chemistry with Gerard Butler, but there you are.
The other thing that irritated me in the movie is that lines kept getting repeated by more than one character. And considering this was partly about an author, I was hoping for better dialog. Maybe because it was geared towards kids, the dialog was dumbed down--but that too is silly. Kids are not stupid.
If you are a YA fan, this is fine for a rental. I don't know that I'd pay full price at the theater.
Addendum: Greg asked me why writers are always depicted as neurotic. Aside from the fact that neurotic makes for a funnier character--I don't know. Mark Terry has spoken several times about the silly "I HAVE to write" mantra that some writers embrace.
That mentality does tend to paint writers as a bit neurotic or unstable.
I'm reminded of when I was at university studying art. It was my first year and I noticed several students with outlandish outfits or affectations that would label them as "artistic" or at least different. I was a little older when I finally went back to college and didn't go in for the ridiculous look.
I asked one of my professors why they paraded like peacocks. He said: Because they're on the outside looking in and they want to prove to the world that they belong to the art community.
If there's one thing I've learned about being a creative, it's that we are different by virtue of thinking outside the norm. We create worlds and people and dreams. There's no need to perpetuate the "neurotic" writer myth.
And to answer Greg's other question: I do NOT have conversations with my characters. They're not even aware that I exist. It's better that way. I can be a vengeful creator if they ever attained awareness.
I really wanted to like this movie. It had Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler (in dual roles) and was about a neurotic---er, hardworking writer that sets out to save a child.
The little kid, Abigail Breslin, was cute and believable in the movie. Gerard Butler was very good, especially when he was playing Foster's funny alter ego hero. And Foster was good at playing neurotic, but together they didn't seem to have any chemistry. I know. Hard to believe any woman couldn't have chemistry with Gerard Butler, but there you are.
The other thing that irritated me in the movie is that lines kept getting repeated by more than one character. And considering this was partly about an author, I was hoping for better dialog. Maybe because it was geared towards kids, the dialog was dumbed down--but that too is silly. Kids are not stupid.
If you are a YA fan, this is fine for a rental. I don't know that I'd pay full price at the theater.
Addendum: Greg asked me why writers are always depicted as neurotic. Aside from the fact that neurotic makes for a funnier character--I don't know. Mark Terry has spoken several times about the silly "I HAVE to write" mantra that some writers embrace.
That mentality does tend to paint writers as a bit neurotic or unstable.
I'm reminded of when I was at university studying art. It was my first year and I noticed several students with outlandish outfits or affectations that would label them as "artistic" or at least different. I was a little older when I finally went back to college and didn't go in for the ridiculous look.
I asked one of my professors why they paraded like peacocks. He said: Because they're on the outside looking in and they want to prove to the world that they belong to the art community.
If there's one thing I've learned about being a creative, it's that we are different by virtue of thinking outside the norm. We create worlds and people and dreams. There's no need to perpetuate the "neurotic" writer myth.
And to answer Greg's other question: I do NOT have conversations with my characters. They're not even aware that I exist. It's better that way. I can be a vengeful creator if they ever attained awareness.
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