Comments on: Cannes Review: Admirable Ambition Isn’t Enough For James Franco’s ‘As I Lay Dying’

By: concerned citizen kane

concerned citizen kane — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:52:01 +0000

it's funny because many of the criticisms that you point out are the parts of the book that are heavily celebrated/talked about — the various voices and diffraction of narrative authority, Cash's carpentry, the third act histrionics — and much of which is tied to the prose itself. Taken literally, and filmed without much imagination, I could see how it simply wouldn't play. The kind of book that isn't lent for visual adaptation. Then again, on a purely superficial level I could see Terrence Malick making a very interesting but probably flawed version. Mostly because of his recent style of cinematography, and his play with voiceover

By: Roark

Roark — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:52:01 +0000

James Franco, 21st century flim flam man, strikes again.

By: Nolan

Nolan — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:52:01 +0000

Cash's carpentry is an important part of his character (you hear him sawing long before you see him.) So much of the book is about how we associate words and language with identity. That's why it has no business being a movie. It has no real narrative arc. Another big problem with the story is that Darl's sections become more and more omniscient: he gets to narrate things that are happening that he can't possible see. There is no reason for this to be a movie.

By: jmp

jmp — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:52:01 +0000

Another bomb from egomaniacal James Franco. Man, this stoner guy is insufferable on every level.

By: weetiger3

weetiger3 — Fri, 13 May 2016 09:52:01 +0000

"…Franco does have the skills to create cinematic art, but he'll have to get out of his own way first to do it." I hope he manages to do so with his next directorial effort, a big-screen adaptation of Andre Dubus III's "The Garden of Last Days". It's another book with a tricky narrative and one I like too much to see mucked up.