The Mist

This film, by a rather great director/adapter Frank Darabont, again presents a quandry, beyond that of why did I see two movies in one day... This film was based on a novella by Stephen King, and was, without doubt, my favorite short story by Mr. King.
The movie was faithful to the original in a few respects, though it did remove the moral ambiguity of the hero and expressing additional exposition to insure a contemporary audience would understand what was happening. As a film review, I think the movie was a romp with middling special effects. As a writer, there were two areas of interest. First is the manner in which the exposition/background of the story is presented. It was done so poorly. Would it be possible for the story to happen without that? Would people understand what was happening? Would they fly along with the story?
Second. The end. I won't post the end yet, but I will talk about that at a later date.
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August Rush

This movie presents something of an enigma to me. It's quite a bit of trash in many respects, and the lead boy actor is awful. The movie is heavy handed and about as subtle as a sledgehammer, but for some reason, it had a profound effect on me. I found myself nearly in tears over the hugely contrived story. Story? It's a fairy tale, with a simple innocent main character who has a strong action which isn't deviated from. The boy, August, is never appears to doubt the veracity of his parents existence or their desire for him. We, as the audience, are privvy to that fact, watching as the parents feel the pangs of separation, and an almost equal desire to find the child. The two antagonists are also equally transparent in both their evil intents and desires. The music in this particular tale was weilded as magic, and I have to admit that the music was indeed magical.
Perhaps the reason there was such a profound effect on me was the music. It was pervasive and powerful, and, I believe, when you give in to it, it can sweep you away.
As this is primarily about writing, here's a moment to talk about that. I found the story should have started later than it did. I was interested in the mother and the son, but the father's journey as a rock star just didn't hold my attention as well. The dialogue was weak at its best, and usually felt clunky and contrived. Worth seeing for the music, but ultimately, you will be disappointed by that silly boy.
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