How I Live Now

[Beate]

Liked this very much. Had a lump in my throat at the end.
George Mackay is a bit of a dish (yes I know I'm too old for him).

8.5/10

[moggers]

Quite true to the book although if you want more of an idea of what happens to Eddy while they are apart it might be worth a read. Thought it was a bit odd that they made Eddy a mish mash of Edmond and Osmond (Issac is Eddy's twin in the book) so that there were only 3 cousins. I quite enjoyed, as a stand alone is was quite good. Would have liked more of the book 'Daisy' at the beginning so you knew what made her tick. 7.5/10

[Beate]

I've read the book - I got it on World Book Night I am sure, but I can't for the life of me find it now so I couldn't look up details which I think is probably better - films mostly work better if you don't know the book too much.

[moggers]

Might be worth a re-read now you've seen the film? I'd be tempted if I didn't about fifty billion books in my must read queue :)

[Beate]

As soon as I can find it...

[missgotty]

Really liked this film although quite said. The little girl was pretty cute. Did think there was going to be more depravity on behalf of the 'bad people'. Also wasn't aware it was based on a book but I think I'll read it just to find out what happened to Eddie.

[John Milton]

Bucking the trend with other FMUKers so far but I really didn't enjoy this film, when I had actually expected to love it.

Having never read the book, I had no expectations other than what had been set up by the trailer. I don't think I'm spoiling anything with the comments below since most of it is revealed in the trailer but this is just a heads up for anyone not wanting to read on...
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I found the whole foundation for the relationship between Daisy and Edmund to be entirely implausible and more than a little uncomfortable, given that they are cousins.

The film itself looked like an overly long music video and despite working on a farm, not having the facilities to wash etc, Daisy never had so much as a hair out of place.

The couple beside me had commented that it looked like it had been shot in someone's back garden. Although I don't think that's entirely fair and I thought some of the set pieces were well done, I can see where they were coming from.
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In fairness to this film, perhaps I'm not exactly its target audience. I suspect it may well be aimed at young adults, given the angst-ridden vibe about it. This is one film that I certainly won't be recommending or adding to my DVD collection.


On the plus side, I think I spotted Yinster at the Glasgow showing of this film and so, I might yet get to meet some other FMUKers at some point soon!

[caitlinmorton]

I honestly don't know what I thought about this. Nor does the friend I saw it with. I'd consider reading the book, because I do want to know what happened to him. Otherwise just really not sure.

[prettyxcool]

Well, after there being no Northern Line or DLR from Bank to WIQ today, I surprised myself and still got to WIQ five minutes later than I wanted, to find a shortish queue outside and Beate at the front of the queue, where else! Lovely to catch up with rawsalsa, and say hi to cinefila1 too.

I really loved the book, fresh and beautifully written. I could not put it down and read it in a couple of days! It was quite a thin book.

Since I only read it in May, the characters were still very fresh in my mind, and because of this I could not help comparing it with the book, only because there were so many bits they changed! So now I wished I had not read it recently, before seeing it. I could not associate Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, and the little girl Piper was much more vibrant and positive in the book, with a voice like an angel. I imagined Daisy much younger being only 15, and Saoirse Ronan seemed much older. Also, there is a character missing from the story and they changed one of the characters and the story! Nevertheless, I did enjoy it, although the two brothers' characters were changed so much!

And how did Daisy have nail varnish that lasted so long, even after manual work! Mine would chip after a day!

This spoiler compares the book and the film, so be warned, if you have not read the book either!
[spoiler]Issac was Edmund's twin and did not die in the book! Edmund picked her up from the airport. Issac is the quiet one who talked to the animals. They were 14 and there was an older brother who was 16. The bodies were not piled together and left in sacks (why would people do that in a war?) which she had to tear open to look for the twins, the bodies were all over the farm, where they were shot running away, or trying to hide etc. She did not find Edmund in the woods. It was years later after she had gone back to States, worked, and then returned after the war ended to find Edmund war torn and weary, and utterly dejected. Their meeting up and how she lives now of the title is so, so sad in the book.[/spoiler]7/10

[yogi]

I haven't read the book and I'm not part of the target young adult audience which may explain why I found the whole thing extremely dull.

Who'd have thought World War 3 could be so uninteresting.

On the plus side it's always good to hear Nick Drake. 3/10