"It's a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things."
- Lemony Snicket
A slight melancholy start to the weekend but I'd like to share with you all my thoughts on the newly released movie 'Departures' (original name 'Then Came You'). I have read so many books that have made me crave the on screen version so I could see the story really come to life. However, with this film, I found myself scouring the 'net to try and find the book it has been based on, I came across nothing. This is a film I would truly love to be written down in full as a descriptive journey through the end of Skye's life.
Departures is a story of a young girl with cancer who is trying to make the most of her last moments on Earth. Skye meets a boy (Calvin), who vows to help her complete her "death list". This is a film which has recently been added to Netflix.
"A hypochondriac working as an airport baggage handler is forced to confront his fears when a British teenager with a terminal illness enlists him to help her carry out her eccentric bucket list."
The premise of this film will always be one that would appeal to those looking for a heartbreaking yet uplifting journey.
Any terminal illness is always a touchy subject when it comes to the way books and movies portray the effects on loved ones, as it can sometimes be seen as romanticised or trivialised. That is definitely not the case with this heartwarming end-of-life tale.
Years ago, my mum suffered the same shitty illness that Skye faces and unfortunately couldn't fight through it. I don't know if she ever had her own bucket list; I was given her copy of the works of Shakespeare which I don't believe she had time to read before she left us, I'll be reading it for her.
Experiencing something like this would make anyone criticise these stories more but I feel as though it was portrayed extremely well by Maisie Williams and the story as a whole was not cliche or glorified. You saw the real struggles a family faces when dealing with something like this and helps you to live through the emotion of each character in Skye's life. Skye's story didn't have a Hollywood ending which I adored, some things in life can't follow the rules of a fairytale, nothing makes sense and sometimes things cannot be prevented. It really made you empathise with the characters in such a way that I am now craving the more in depth characterisation which a book would provide.
This film would make a beautiful retelling in a novel and one that would bring a tear to the eye of even the coldest hearts. Regrettably, cancer is something everyone has had some sort of experience with and something that connects us all in a negative way. This movie tries, and succeeds at giving the connection we have to other beings a positive side - although not overwhelming - and changes our perspective on how we live our lives.
No doubt this film will grow tons in popularity as did 'The Fault in our Stars' and I hope it is one day written and adapted into a form which I can truly delve.
What film to book or book to film adaptations are you longing for?
Victoria Marie. X
Labels: adventure, blog, blogger, book, bookblog, bookblogger, booknerd, booktofilm, cancer, death, film, filmtobook, heartbreak, new, reading
