In the Distraction Zone

The down side of reading a hard science sci-fi novel that I’ve taken out of the library and am absolutely loving, is that I will inevitably NOT finish it before it’s due back at the good ol’ BPL. Yes, I’m talking about Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary and why haven’t I finished it in my allotted loaner time? Because I’m not some science-y brainiac who already knows and understands all the basic and not so basic concepts the author tosses out. It takes me time to take in and understand points made, to google other bits, to learn.

 You might be thinking “why not keep Project Hail Mary out for another two weeks?” To the best of my understanding, that’s not how digital loans work. I CAN request a renewal of my book loan and IF no one else is in line waiting to read the book, I can hold onto it and keep reading. If someone(s) else is waiting to read it, I go to the back of the line. It may be a couple weeks before I can finish reading the tale. It could be months. This is the reading equivalent of coitus interruptus.

So, I jumped ahead. I know how Project Hail Mary ends (more or less happily if bittersweet with a dash of weirdness). The movie version comes out in late March of ’26. Yeah, I’ll be watching it.

In other book to movie news – Jen, Oni, and I just watched the wildly anticipated Thursday Murder Club movie yesterday. Wildly anticipated by Jen and I anyway. We LOVED the books.

WHAT a disappointment though!

The casting is, charitably speaking, uneven. Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, the sharp minded ex-MI6 agent (US equivalent of CIA) is, of course, perfect. Celia Imrie as Joyce, the cozy (with surprising, underlying quick-witted toughness) retired nurse is grand. Ben Kingsley is Ibrahim, the pedantic former psychiatrist. He's understated and not as given to so much over-explanation as in the books. Kingsley’s, naturally, wonderful.

Conversely, Pierce Brosnan is Ron, the retired labor organizer and agitator. Brosnan is entirely too calm, civilized, and, frankly, too damn tall and good looking for the part. Sadly, he's not a talented enough actor to get past these deficits. A Bob Hoskins or Pete Postlethwaite type would’ve been WAY more fitting. What about Tim Roth? He’s alive still. Too young sure but there’s always makeup, ya know. 

The entirely too beautiful actor Tom Ellis plays Ron's ex-boxer son. Ellis is def a fine actor BUT there’s no way he’s believable as an ex-boxer – he’s just too damn perfect looking. Also, wouldn’t boxers be a bit more beefy? Ellis is built more like a swimmer. 

Naomi Ackie plays the young police officer Donna De Freitas. She comes off much more timidly in the movie than in the books and that's a shame.

Daniel Mays is the detective in charge of the investigations and comes off as a complete caricature. He’s sloppy, constantly shoving food into his mouth, his clothes are rumpled (and look a bit whiffy), he’s not at all intellectually quick, when cornered he resorts to bullying, AND he needs a good shower and a shave. It’s as though the directors and producers cut and pasted him in from some third rate slapstick cop comedy flick.

Apart from dubious casting and character development choices, I objected to some of the book-to-movie story changes. I know, in order to fit the two hour or less film format, cuts and abbreviations need to be made. A few of the shortcuts just seemed completely random, some worked, and there were those that didn’t serve the storyline at all.

My biggest complaint by far is how the scriptwriters dealt with the character Bogdan (played by Henry Lloyd-Hughs). He’s, ultimately, a very good guy but is, at times and by necessity, in a moral grey zone. He’s one of my favorite Murder Club characters and the writers had him deleted by Elizabeth. This doesn’t happen in the books. Bogdan’s a key player in all four installments of the series. If there’s to be a movie sequel, the scriptwriters will need to be creative in writing around his absence. 

If I leave out the book entirely, just look at the movie as a stand-alone piece, it seems like the creators couldn’t decide whether to make a cozy mystery or a cheezy comedy or a deeply sad, yet ultimately heartwarming relationship piece. 

There’s a lot of wasted acting talent on screen here. Read the books. Miss the flick.