I agree completely. I cringed when I saw this over at
Crimespree Cinema. Miller's writing style works for comic
books, which are not the most sophisticated or subtle venue.
Sin City translated well onto the screen, but it was still
Sin City. Meh.
On 6/22/07, Kevin Burton Smith <
kvnsmith@thrillingdetective.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Jun 19, 2007, at 9:13 PM, Vince Keenan
wrote:
>
> > It was announced a while back that Clive Owen
would produce and
> > star as Philip Marlowe in a new series of
Raymond Chandler
> > adaptations. The first project has been
announced. It will be
> > based on the novella TROUBLE IS MY BUSINESS.
Perhaps more
> > interesting is the choice of writer: Frank
Miller, who worked with
> > Owen on SIN CITY. Let the arguments
commence.
>
> Okay.
>
> Owen as Marlowe? Sure. He might be very effective,
with the ability
> to be both hard and soft. Certainly a better choice
than Montgomery
> or Garner. Or Boothe Powers (the poor man's Stacy
Keach. Or is it the
> other way around?)
>
> And of course, Miller may have hidden depths. But
him doing Chandler?
>
> Yuck. My first reaction is... Miller's a pretentious
hack. Oooh!
> Black ink! How artistic!
>
> SIN CITY? Technically and visually, it was stunning.
But the writing
> was simply for the stunned. A bloated, smug,
overwrought, humourless
> and soulless film, based on equally bloated, smug,
overwrought,
> humourless and soulless comic books; PULP FICTION
(and pulp fiction)
> stripped of any cleverness and dumbed down (way, way
down) for
> fourteen year males of all ages and
genders.
>
> Adapting Chandler requires a grace and deftness and
subtlety I've
> never really seen in any of Miller's work. Miller's
generally about
> as subtle as an amputated leg.
>
> If Miller wants to adapt a classic detective author,
he should go for
> someone like Spillane, and leave Chandler for
someone better qualified.
>
> You purists think Altman took liberties? Wait'll
Marlowe pulls out a
> bazooka or starts boinking hookers.
>
> Of course, as I said, I could be wrong.
>
> Kevin
>
>
>
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