Thursday Movie Picks: Adaptations

 

In the 49th week of 2020 for Wandering Through the Shelves' Thursday Movie Picks. We go into the subject of adaptations as films based on books have often create movies that are different from the books where they originated as it allows filmmakers to bring books to life but on their own terms. Here are my three picks of great adaptations by women directors of the 2010s:

1. We Need to Talk About Kevin

Lynne Ramsay’s adaptation of Lionel Shriver’s novel about a mother who deals with the fact that her son killed a bunch of kids in school and so much more is definitely one of the most unsettling films of the 2010s. Ramsay’s first film in nine years following an attempt to create a film adaptation of The Lovely Bones that got taken away by Peter Jackson who ended up creating a very shitty film on that book. Yet, Ramsay’s adaptation of Shriver’s novel plays more into themes of death but it’s more about the aftermath of death in which a woman copes with being ostracized for being the mother of a young killer as she reflects on her time as a mother and ponders what did she do wrong as it features a mesmerizing performance from Tilda Swinton as well as an eerie performance from Ezra Miller as Kevin.

2. The Bling Ring

Based on the real-life events that was covered in a famous article by Vanity Fair, Sofia Coppola’s film about a group of young Hollywood kids who break into the mansions of some famous people to steal some of their belongings and such is a study of these kids wanting to belong in this rich and posh culture. Yet, the film also showcase this air of disconnect that these kids have with the real world and in their actions with some being remorseful for what they did while others want to enjoy this newfound notoriety. It is one of Coppola’s more accessible films but also a critique on celebrity culture and people’s fascination with a culture that praises people who don’t deserve to be famous.

3. Certain Women

Kelly Reichardt’s film that is based on a trio of short stories by Maile Meloy is an exploration of the lives of four women in a small town in Montana. The film revolves around the life of a lawyer trying to deal with a troubled client, a housewife and mother whose plan to create her new dream home reveal cracks in her marriage, and a night-school teacher who bonds with a lonely ranch hand who is eager to seek some connection. It is a film where not much happens as it’s more about women reacting to their situations and the environment around them as it is told with such richness and realism from a true artist like Reichardt.

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