January 27, 2012
Film adaption of the Novel by Janet Evanovich
Film adaption of the Novel by Janet Evanovich
Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, Sherri Shepherd, Debbie Reynolds, Anna Reeder, etc. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson.
Lions Gate and others, producers.
Lions Gate and others, producers.
Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past. www.imdb.com (photo too)
When you pick up a Janet Evanovich novel do you expect great literature? No, you expect an entertaining, mildly sexy mystery.
So, why would we expect great, as in Meryl Streep-ian, cinema from the movie? I expected 2 and a snidge hours of an entertaining interpretation of the book. Was it perfect? As good as the book? No, and no.
I was worried by the casting. I had no worries about Sherri Shepherd, she was perfect for the role. I just couldn't see blond Katherine Heigl as a Hungarian-Italian from Jersey. And, there must have been some Italian-American male actors, or just American actors looking for work, no? So I didn't get the casting of the very lovely, but Irish, Jason O'Mara as Joe Morelli. Daniel Sunjata I didn't know so I really didn't have an opinion.
Here's what I thought.
It was funny and competent but it was as if the actors were being held back in their roles. They could have made an edgier film. If anything veers the film towards mediocre, as I have seen it called, it would be the direction.
Some criticisms I read:
Heigl puts on too thick of a Jersey accent. No, no she doesn't. I went to college with New Jersey and she doesn't come close to being too thick. O'Mara did a credible job as Morelli. I think he was a little more scared than I thought he would be.
Also, I have seen her wardrobe criticized as being off the rack from Talbots. To that I say, A. Yeah, you got a problem with that? And, B. The sale rack at the outlet perhaps. She was a lingerie department manager at Macy's. What would she buy, couture? Not to mention she was unemployed six-months before the first scene.
BTW big time movie critic guy, guess where most people shop? It's not Bergdorf's.
One performance I didn't feel at all was Daniel Sunjata as Ranger. It was okay but that making-a-girl-feel-deep dark-thoughts didn't happen for me, nor did I feel any of Ranger's hot Latino ethnicity. I am not sure that I would be too worried facing Sunjata's Ranger down.
Debbie Reynolds played Grandma Mazur pretty well. A little less wrinkly than I had thought Grandma would be. I had always seen Estelle Getty in that role. Anna Reeder's Connie hit the character spot on.
There's always an issue with the expectations of readers when developing a book into a film. And when the book is as popular, as widely read, as this series is it must be a huge juggling act. From casting to line by line delivery, every decision is scrutinized by more than the industry pundits. So I can respect the issues the writers, producers and actors faced. Taking it as far as I thought it should go would probably have offended someone. We all have a picture in out heads, after eighteen books, as to what each person in the series looks like and sounds like. How could anyone live up to a billion expectations without becoming a bit average?
For the record, my husband thought it was Heigl's best movie. I enjoyed it and would have liked more edge, more laughs, more sexy, more!!!
True Blood Treat (http://youtu.be/w2NbjX3j6VI):
