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Fingersmith
Mar. 18th, 2007 11:23 amFeels like pressing through a fog these days. The distance is indistinct. I keep reminding myself how far I've come lately, and must be truly fortunate to enjoy this job so much. But my understanding of how to manage the rest of life seems to have come apart. Questions once settled have again raised their cobra heads. Maybe I'm just so used to feeling vaguely desperate that I don't know how to put it away and relax in this stage of the journey, which should feel full of promise.
The girls are still asleep. This morning feels okay. It's hard not to, with kind, warm sunlight trickling across the office walls and furnishings.
Last night we watched the screen adaptation of Fingersmith, which I read while recovering from surgery in 2003. This period fiction, written by Sarah Waters, might be described as a lesbian version of Oliver Twist, a candid, modern take on those in-the-margins passions that speckle Victorian literature. It contains an outstanding plot twist, but enjoyment of the performance is not depleted in knowing what's coming; actually I relished understanding the characters' hidden motivations, and seeing how well these were portrayed. The cast includes such as Rupert Evans (in an understated homosexual role) and Imelda Staunton, but Elaine Cassidy was most memorable as one of the romantic leads, the wealthy and caged Maud Lilly, seemingly innocent and naive.
Rarely do good books translate so well to film. Little is lost here. The dramatization is rich with detail and atmosphere. As storytelling goes, both versions rank among the best. The only thing I did not care for was the electronic musical soundtrack, occasionally distracting, which bore little relevance to the period drama. This is one of the best movies I've seen in ages, highly recommended.
