As a long-time Ballard fan I was looking forward to seeing this on DVD release. The book is the densest but also most oblique setting out of his ideas. How could this be captured on film? The director tries too hard to remain faithful to the structure of the novel(strange that this should be a criticism but film is just so different - I was left wondering what a more straight-forward narrative would have brought, compare with 'The Unforgettable Lightness Of Being' which was a successful adaptation).
What really damns the film though is the truly appalling acting throughout the film. Actors read lines that they obviously don't understand and make Ballard's intriguing prose seem quite trite. I recognise that Ballardian characters are often two dimensional - more cipher than flesh-and-blood people - but how did the actors manage to reduce the dimensions further?! The direction was generally dull and plodding, like something I would have seen at the ICA back in the 80s, ponderousness masquerading for insight.
Back to the book ...........
What really damns the film though is the truly appalling acting throughout the film. Actors read lines that they obviously don't understand and make Ballard's intriguing prose seem quite trite. I recognise that Ballardian characters are often two dimensional - more cipher than flesh-and-blood people - but how did the actors manage to reduce the dimensions further?! The direction was generally dull and plodding, like something I would have seen at the ICA back in the 80s, ponderousness masquerading for insight.
Back to the book ...........