Well, I went into this movie after having read the book, and I can say that this movie doesn't even hold a candle to what the book is.... both objectively and subjectively.
This movie is a pretty straightforward, linear thriller. The book is so, so, SO much more than that with layers of depth to it and a much more coherent and gripping story.
However, I can appreciate this film for what it is. I think that if I had seen this movie prior to reading the book, or maybe even seen it when I was younger, I would have liked it much more than I do now. The acting in this movie is very solid, especially Kathy Bates' performance. James Caan did very well also, for what he had to work with.
Overall I don't think this is a bad movie at all... but I think most reviews on here giving this movie 8-10 star ratings are from people who haven't read the book... I will admit I didn't enjoy this movie that much for that reason alone. There are also many differences between the two, and I can't knock the movie too much for it considering I understand some of the challenges they faced in adapting it to the big screen.
One brief thing I wanted to mention, is I didn't like the soundtrack to this movie. I feel like a soundtrack can sometimes make or break a movie. While it doesn't go either way in this case, it closely leans towards the "break" side for me. The soundtrack is just too intrusive and hasn't aged well.
In summary this movie was okay and I can see why it's a cult classic. Had I watched this years ago before I ever read the book I probably would have liked it much, much more than I do now. As it is, I give this movie 5 / 10 stars. Not bad, but do yourself a favor and pick up the book. To simply say it's better is a wild understatement.
This movie is a pretty straightforward, linear thriller. The book is so, so, SO much more than that with layers of depth to it and a much more coherent and gripping story.
However, I can appreciate this film for what it is. I think that if I had seen this movie prior to reading the book, or maybe even seen it when I was younger, I would have liked it much more than I do now. The acting in this movie is very solid, especially Kathy Bates' performance. James Caan did very well also, for what he had to work with.
Overall I don't think this is a bad movie at all... but I think most reviews on here giving this movie 8-10 star ratings are from people who haven't read the book... I will admit I didn't enjoy this movie that much for that reason alone. There are also many differences between the two, and I can't knock the movie too much for it considering I understand some of the challenges they faced in adapting it to the big screen.
One brief thing I wanted to mention, is I didn't like the soundtrack to this movie. I feel like a soundtrack can sometimes make or break a movie. While it doesn't go either way in this case, it closely leans towards the "break" side for me. The soundtrack is just too intrusive and hasn't aged well.
In summary this movie was okay and I can see why it's a cult classic. Had I watched this years ago before I ever read the book I probably would have liked it much, much more than I do now. As it is, I give this movie 5 / 10 stars. Not bad, but do yourself a favor and pick up the book. To simply say it's better is a wild understatement.