This isn't Edinburgh month, but I managed to catch one of the
two made for TV Rebus movies last week on Showcase, Black and
Blue. The other one was The Hanging Garden. There are
apparently two others but I don't know when they'll be on, if
ever.
This summer I read half a dozen Rebus novels by Ian Rankin,
plus a book of short stories featuring Rebus (A Good
Hanging). Unfortunately, I read them in completely haphazard
order, whenever someone lent one to me or I found it in a
used bookstore. It was kind of strange, especially since I
read them one after the other. In one book, his teenage
daughter is recovering from an accident. In another, she's
still in elementary school. Then she has the accident. His
drinking followed a similarly erratic pattern, but then maybe
it does anyway.
To get back to the movie, Black and Blue was one I haven't
read yet, so I don't know what liberties were taken with the
plot and one-time characters. But Rebus was something of a
disappointment. John Hannah, who plays him, is too young,
trim and healthy. Not too hard, either. Twice he gently holds
hands with a woman in a time of stress. The real Rebus would
never!
There is a fairly scathing review of it on the Web. The
critic rightly points out the music soundtrack was mediocre,
and when you consider all the references Rebus makes to
various bands and songs, it shouldn't have been difficult to
put together a great one. The only charitable explanation
might be licensing problems.
See http://www.twbooks.co.uk/crimescene/rebus.html
For info on Rankin, see http://www.twbooks.co.uk/authors/irankin.html
Karin Montin
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