more movies and a book

And you fine people probably are thinking that all I do is read and watch movies.  Really I don't.  Honest.  It's just that this week I've had off, and I don't sit around well, so I got movies to help pass the time.  So here we go...

Sophie's Choice  Now, mind that I didn't care for the book much, and found it overrated.  The reason centers around that fact that it really wasn't focused on Sophie and her choice so much as Stingo's lustfulness and bemoaning his lack of a sex life.  The movie I liked better, mostly because I really like Meryl Streep, and her perfomance in this movie was fabulous.  It kind of eclipsed the Stingo's fantasy world emphasis some.  In a way I'm glad I finally got around to renting it, but it's really not a movie I'd watch again, either. 

Game Over This one's a documentary on Garry Kasparov's loss to Deep Blue in 1997 that I accidently stumbled upon.  Considering it's from 2003, I'm kind of surprised it was a VHS rental and not DVD.  It looked a little dated, all things considered, and I never did figure out what was up with the creepy twinkly music throughout.  But I really liked this one.  Perhaps it's only because I'm a chess junkie.  Perhaps it's only because I think Kasparov is the coolest chess player ever.  But it was well worth my buck ninety-nine. 

Trapped This one's the movie version of Greg Ile's 24 Hours, which  I read over Memorial Day weekend.  It's basically a kidnap for ransom scenario.  I wasn't expecting Charlize Theron or Kevin Bacon.  It was very interesting, as Iles tweaked some major details (including the ending) between the book and the screenplay he wrote, but it didn't hurt the story any.  It was descent.  I just love how they change character names between book and movie though.  Same character, different name. 

Return to Paradise This happens to be one of my favorite movies from the last decade.  Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Phoenix, and some other dude wrapped up in a foreign prison snafu over hashish.  Phoenix's character is in prison, and is to be executed in eight days for drug trafficking unless the other two go back to Malaysia from New York and serve their time for the drugs.  Strong characters, great casting, and a compelling tale. 

And the book happens to be Miracle in the Andes, by Nando Parrado.  Yes, I've read Alive.  More than once, as a matter of fact.  Probably closer to 4 or 5 times.  And I've seen the movie version twice.  I've always thought that Alive is probably the ultimate survival story.  It's definitely among the best I've ever read, and for inspiration you can't beat it. Until now.  I can unequivocably say that I much prefer the new retelling.  It's not that Alive wasn't thorough.  It was researched to the max, and written after hours of interviews with the survivors.  But with Miracle in the Andes, you get the perspective of Parrado himself, who was instrumental in getting them rescued.  And this makes it a much richer reading experience.  It's wellworth the read, and I'm sure I'll revisit it again at some point.