MovieChat Forums > The Killer Inside Me (2010) Discussion > Book Vs Film - Is the book even filmable...

Book Vs Film - Is the book even filmable?

posted 9 years ago by twelveboar
4 replies | jump to latest

Watched the film when it was released, didn't like it much. Read the book ( working my way through Thompson ), loved it. Rewatched the film... didn't like it much.

The film follows the plot of the book to the T, but something was so lacking here. I think part of the problem was with Casey Affleck, who is usually great and does a good job here, but miscast as the genial, externally happy Ford- Affleck just looks too mean and ornery throughout the film.

And there's Ford's internal monologue, his arrogance, his superiority complex, but also his compassion and regrets and his worry about what he cannot control: the film just didn't ( couldn't? ) portray this. In the book there were elements that made me feel sympathetic towards him- in the film he's just a monster.

Any thoughts? Anyone think this is a good adaptation? Could the book have been adapted into a better film than this, or was it foolish enough to even try?

[–] Eddie_Fingers 9 years ago

I think Casey Affleck was definitely miscast. As a whole, it was a serviceable adaptation, but it was certainly lacking. I think a more charismatic actor like Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal, or Garrett Hedlund could have made up a little for what it was lacking, but it wasn't just Casey Affleck that brought it down.

Lou's interior monologues are what makes the book so great because you're inside the killer's mind and it's so uncomfortable in the best possible way. It has been a while since I saw the film and I can't remember if there was a voice over, but if there wasn't, that definitely would have helped a lot.

I also think a book like this needs an auteur's touch to really set the mood, tone, and atmosphere. A director like Andrew Dominik or John Hillcoat or Denis Villeneuve or David Fincher definitely could have elevated it.

"This life's hard, man, but it's harder if you're stupid!"

[–] twelveboar 9 years ago

Aye, there is a voice-over, but Affleck's sometimes indecipherable flat drawl really deadens any impact it has, and the arrogance/helplessness Ford suffers is feels subdued. Personally I found some of the direction was okay- it looked like a period piece- and it was as hot and sticky as it should have been, but the film missed the mark in some pretty key ways.

Incidentally, Eddie, don't trust Dillon, Foley or Jackie Brown: Snakes the lot of 'em.

[–] pretentious_hack 7 years ago

The book was written in first person and all of it takes place in Lou's head, so I don't think the movie had a chance of being successful.

There was so little character development in the film that it just came across as flat and dull... like they were just trying to shoot the book scene by scene.

[–] seanwhelan2310 (562) 2 years ago

I liked Affleck as Ford, but I always thought that some like Michael Shannon, Jake Gyllenhaal or Leonardo DiCaprio could have pulled off that role