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theshaps
Reviews
All the Light We Cannot See (2023)
Decent execution but too many changes from the original book
I'm usually not one who struggles with changes made during adaptation from book to film. However, in this case I thought they simply went too far. When you change who lives and dies in the story, you also change some core themes which I think diminish the point of the original text.
The acting was good but not great. I can't think of any standout performances. The effects were good and the feel of of the time frame depicted seemed appropriate.
All in all, I would say this will be an enjoyable series for those who have not read the book, but for anyone who has read it, they will likely struggle with why some of the choices were made.
Unknown (2011)
As good as it could be
I wanted to like this movie. The acting was good enough; the execution was fine; the direction was good, in that it kept the surprise ending hidden well. But I just could not escape the frustration of how obviously this movie mirrored The Bourne Identity. Spoiler alert...
1. A man awakens after a trauma with partial and fractured memories. 2. He later learns that he has previously been an assassin (right down to finding multiple passports with his photo and various aliases). 3. He is now somehow a better person and does not want to kill his target. 4. He has a young, attractive female sidekick to help him along and believes in his redemption. 5. He is targeted by his former employer because he represents a risk to them. 6. He kills them all and escapes with his new girlfriend.
Seriously, I think Robert Ludlum's estate has a case for plagiarism here. Before the full plot was revealed towards the end, I was enjoying the film. I simply cannot get over the unbelievable parallels. I know that there are small copies and imitations throughout all art and that complete originality is rare. This just crossed the line to an extreme I had not seen for some time.