Nowadays, cinema is very developed. Films no longer cause that delight that a hundred years ago, simply because there are so many of them. And sometimes it’s difficult to choose a really worthwhile film that you’re not sorry to spend a few valuable hours on. Let's analyze the drama "Now is the time."
A bit about the picture
The drama "Now is the time", reviews of which are different, was created by French and British filmmakers. Oliver Parker shot the picture, and it was presented to the audience on August 31, 2012. The film lasts only 103 minutes, but the whole time the picture keeps in suspense. She even formed the slogan: "Dream, live, love."
By the way, in reviews of “Now is the time”, people often note the talented musical accompaniment of the picture. The music was written by composer Dustin O'Halloran.
The film has age restrictions: you can watch it from the age of sixteen. By the way, the picture was taken from the book “While I Am Alive” by the writer Jenny Downham.
Reviews about "Now is the time" for the most part positive. This happens also due to the experienced cast. Cast: Dakota Fanning, Jeremy Irwin, Joe Cole, Paddy Considine, Julia Ford and others.
The film was shot in the summer of 2011 in the UK: in London, Brighton and Buckinghamshire. The tape is voiced in English, and then translated into all the rest.
In our country, film rental was provided by the Premium Film company.
Since the reviews about “Now is the time” are very good, then we will consider the plot of the film.
What is the tape about?
Girl Tessa fell ill with leukemia and is trying to live with it, looking for new landmarks. She makes a wish list, among which there is a parachute jump, drugs, sex. But not all plans are destined to come true, because the girl meets Adam. Thanks to him, Tessa completely redefines her attitude.
Intriguing, isn't it? And what kind of cast in the film "Now is the time" ...
Who is filming?
The picture became so popular largely due to the cast. The film was played by professionals who were able to completely accurately convey the idea of the director. These people deserve to talk about each of the characters in the film "Now is the time" separately.
Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning plays the main character Tessa. Let's talk a little about the actress herself. She is a native of Conyers (an American town). Dakota already has about 115 works in various films, many of them very successful.
Fanning was born on February 23, 1994. Despite such a young age, she already managed to star in such famous TV shows as “Friends”, “Justice League”, “Ambulance”. In full-length films, roles are no less, for example, “I Am Sam”, “The Secret Life of Bees”, “Anger”, “Dreamer”.
Last year was a landmark for the actress, because she was among the applicants for the Saturn Prize for working in the Alienist project.
Jeremy Irwin
This actor also played a major role - he was the chosen one of Tessa, Adam. Jeremy was born on June 18, 1990. On the account of the actor about 37 roles in films and on television. Irwin is a native of the British town of Cambridgeshire.
Jeremy has appeared in many famous projects, including Genius and the Madman, The Club of Billionaires, Fantastic Love and Where to Find It, and War Horse. By the way, in the last Jeremy played a major role.
Paddy Considine
You probably already noticed that the main cast is young people. Paddy is knocked out of this list, and this is not surprising, because in "Now is the time" he plays the father of a sick girl.
The actor was born in 1974, September 5. The man lived all his childhood in the village of Burton upon Trent. During his career, he managed to star in more than fifty films.
Paddy appeared in the feature films Pride, The Bourne Ultimatum, Knockdown, Pointy Peaks, Submarine. In 2012, the actor won the nomination "The best debut of a screenwriter, producer or director." The screenwriter and actor is happily married to Shelley Considine and has three children.
Olivia Williams
“Now is the time” - a picture not only about a sick girl, but also about the relationship of her parents. The role of Tessa's mother was played just by Olivia. The actress herself was born on July 26, 1968. During her career, Williams managed to play about 78 roles in both film and television. Olivia was born in London.
Her work can be seen in large projects such as "Friends", "Sixth Sense", "Education of feelings", "Doll House".
Olivia is married to Rashan Stone and has two children.
Interesting Facts
Do you remember any interesting moments related to the filming of “Now is the time” in 2012? If not, then you definitely came to the address. We will tell you the most interesting facts, which, perhaps, will make you look at the picture in a new way:
- Naomi Watts was selected for the role of the girl’s mother, but due to certain circumstances, she was played by Olivia Williams. We want to note that this actress not only added a twist, but also highlighted the supporting role among others.
- In the book, according to which the film “Now is the time” 2012 was shot, the heroine was the owner of brown hair, but Dakota flatly refused to repaint herself during the filming, and she was allowed to remain blonde.
- Irwin was offered to play the role of Pete Mellark in The Hunger Games, but he refused, since it was at that time that the filming of the described film began.
- The scene on the motorcycle was filmed early in the morning, and it became night after adding special effects.
Despite the piercing mood of the drama, the reviews for the film “Now is the time” are very controversial. Why so? Let's look at the film a little deeper.
Diving
Tessa, a girl with a blood cancer, is well aware that you cannot live long with such a disease. But instead of feeling sorry for herself and falling into despondency, she decides to make her dreams come true. For a little bit, all dreams come true, but suddenly comes the realization that it is not so important and pleasant. Are you familiar with the plot? As a rule, this is exactly how, well, or practically so, many romantic English comedies begin. But not this time ...
The picture was supplemented by some circumstances, which undoubtedly improved it. In the film, all the dialogues are full of meaning. Directors of other countries very often sin with the color of the phrase, which does not make sense. Of course, the way of presenting information only helped to appreciate the picture.
As for the style of the tape, here everything is present - from irony to realism. Well, what can I say, it is immediately obvious - made in England.
Drama or comedy?
If you read the description for the film and have already prepared a bunch of paper scarves, then we hasten to disappoint you. Although the tape is positioned as a drama, the film nevertheless does not show hopelessness, and therefore you do not have to shed tears all the time. There are a lot of humorous moments in the picture, which seem to hint that life does not end, and even with such a diagnosis you can have fun.
Judging by the reviews of the film "Now is the time" 2012, then all viewers note a pleasant aftertaste left from the picture. There is no feeling of inevitability or hopelessness, everything is so light and light that I want to love life even more and enjoy every second.
The jokes in the picture are special. Unlike many American films, I want to laugh at them, they are so sparkling. Even the finale is accompanied by jokes, although it would seem that this is not the best moment.
Women Friendship
“Now is the time” in 2012 shows that female friendship still exists. And this is not about joint gatherings for a party or discussion of guys, but about support, compassion and cheerfulness. The girl, who played the role of best friend, very organically fit into the picture and, of course, embellished it. The real name of the actress is Kaya Scodelario, and we have no doubt that we will hear this name more than once.
Realism
The picture is quite realistic, which distinguishes it from similar American-made films. The main character does not have a short haircut, and this also refers to reality. After all, after chemotherapy, patients are forced to have a short haircut, there is no longer up to beauty.
Usually in American films, all the heroines die, if not happy, then at least beautiful, but in life this rarely happens.
Adam also destroys all stereotypes, he does not look like a brutal handsome man, but is an ordinary guy. The film did not turn into another fairy tale, for which the directors can be thanked. Adam is a teenager like Tessa, they have youthful feelings ripening. At the same time, the guy has his own fears and phobias, for example, he is afraid of the sight of blood, which makes the viewer more imbued with the film.
The role of the father is also written quite realistically. In the picture, he appears to the audience as a boring person who cannot control himself and only shows pity for his daughter.
The creators of the film "Now is the time" in Russian perfectly translated phrases and described the mother of the heroine. This woman has not communicated with Tessa's father for a long time and, moreover, cannot stand hospitals.
Miracles happen
As a rule, films similar to “Now is the time” cause a painful feeling after watching. This tape is devoid of hopelessness.
While watching the audience more and more penetrate to the heroes, and Tessa no longer looks tortured and miserable, but remains in her memory as a dear and sweet heroine.
Adam also quickly provokes sympathy. At first, the hero seems too soft-skinned and in some ways even a child, but here he repairs the motorcycle with his own hands just to pick up the girl from the hospital.
The initial coldness of the parents also gives way to emotionality and vulnerability over time. It turns out that they, in general, are not bad people who were overtaken by grief.
Scriptwriters were able to show that life is valuable in all its manifestations and in any, it would seem, the most tragic period.
About the book
We have already said above that the movie “Now is the time” was shot according to the book. Jenny Downham is the author of a best-seller, which was sold worldwide, including in Russia. The writer played in the amateur theater of London for a very long time. And the moment came when the woman decided to write a book, which at the same time became popular.
The book is so famous that it was even translated into Russian, although not every work by foreigners reaches the Russian reader. Basically, the book was written for teenagers, because Tessa, like teenagers, goes into all seriousness in the face of death. Almost all teenagers behave this way, only unlike the heroine consciously.
A serious illness adds books of sentimentality, which can be seen in the plot "Now is the time."
Jenny wanted to interest readers by all means, and therefore did not shun any tricks. There are quite a lot of erotic scenes in the book, which, of course, attract teenagers. By the way, they are described very colorfully.
Is erotica appropriate?
According to the plot of the film "Now is the time", the heroine met not only her love, but also learned to overcome difficulties during the fight against the disease. So how relevant are erotic descriptions in drama for teens? We cannot judge this, but we can say that there are many more such moments in the book. It is understandable, because Downham wanted to win the attention of the younger generation. Critics even called the book a tabloid work, which, however, did not affect its popularity.
In addition to erotic scenes, the book contains many other piquant details of the lives of teenagers. For example, petty theft, impressions of taking drugs, quarrels with parents, dating with the opposite sex. In a word, everything that is characteristic of a teenage rebellious spirit. A lot of the work and medical details.
In one language
Why do writers not always gain popularity after a work is released? The reason is simple: the author and readers speak different languages. Jenny was able to prevent this mistake and therefore the book became a bestseller.
The work is written by teenage slang, it has a lot of aggression, a small vocabulary. In addition, the author was able to fairly accurately show all the moments that enrage teenagers.
And even despite the unflattering reviews of critics, the book is gaining more and more fame because teenagers understand what they mean.
Background
After the news about the film adaptation of the story spread, even critics found this idea productive. This is because the whole plot “Now is the time” could explode with a bright star in the sky of cinema. The story is tragic enough for the audience to imbue it.
It is not for nothing that actors who were already considered professionals at that time were taken on the main roles. Both Dakota and Jeremy managed to light up in famous films. Interestingly, the stake was mainly on Dakota, because she already played in Twilight, which means that young people already knew her.
It is also interesting that both actors received the most famous roles from Spielberg.
A bit about the creator
We talked about the main characters of "Now is the time", which means that the time has come to talk about the creator of the film. Who is Oliver Parker? An English director who at that time had just started working in this area. The film "Now is the time" was Parker's second work. Was she successful?
It is worth noting that Oliver set out to make a film that everyone will like, and more importantly, age restrictions will be passed, in connection with which teenagers will also be able to watch it. For this reason, the director smoothed out many juicy moments of the book, or even completely cut it out.
The tape was remembered for love romance, but not for harsh pornographic scenes. This is the merit of Oliver. The audience did not see the frank eroticism, the scriptwriters only hinted at it with the phrases "the lights go out."
Parker smoothed out all the revelations of the book, such as: dirty rooms, illegal hospitals, noisy parties and rude peers, other gloomy places, thereby directing the viewer's attention to a romantic story.
The main character in the book constantly complains and describes her illnesses, but not in the film. Tessa looks very good even in those moments when the disease is already clearly winning. Of course, the picture immediately makes it clear that what is happening on the screen is far from reality, but nevertheless it was conceived. The director deliberately decided to replace the tragedy and hopelessness with sentimentality.
Let people who really faced this serious illness shrug their shoulders in bewilderment, but Oliver achieved what he wanted: the film evokes a desire to live.
The opinion of critics
At the time the film was released, even critics were wary of expressing their opinions on the Dakota nomination for an Oscar. This is due to the fact that the picture is clearly aimed at adolescents.
But even the critics did not argue about the mother of the main character. Olivia so perfectly conveyed the role that she was breathtaking. In the book, the writer did not draw a portrait of her mother very well. The main emphasis was on the past, when she escaped with her lover from her husband and daughter.
Olivia was able to show the nature of the mother in the present tense. It turned out that the character is afraid of everything - from responsibility to hospitals. The hysteria of the mother was conveyed very naturally, and besides, Olivia was able to ensure that the viewer even in some way fell in love with the heroine. In the unanimous opinion of all critics, it is Williams who deserves an Oscar in the nomination for Best Supporting Role.
Viewers reviews
With professional critics, everything is clear. Find out what ordinary viewers think. Alas, opinions are divided here. Some viewers consider it a crime to strictly deviate from the book, because the film was attended by teenagers who first read the work. The game of Dakota also did not appeal to everyone. Many considered her not talented enough for the lead role. Adam in the film also did not cause enthusiasm among some viewers. What can we say about dissatisfaction with emotions. People believe that the film lacks precisely the tragedy that was in the books.
Other viewers, on the contrary, are delighted with the picture. They are attracted precisely by the vitality of the main character, the fact that she did not give up and even found the strength to fall in love. A great desire to live is what people say after watching, and many like it more than the gloom of a book.
It is impossible to unequivocally side with one or another group in order to determine your impressions; it is better to watch the film yourself.
Conclusion
Today we talked about such a difficult film as "Now is the time." Of course, the story that is shown to the audience is actually scary. And only a really strong spirit and character can a person get out of the situation the way the main character did. Even if the film is very different from the book, but most importantly, the director was able to convey his thoughts to the audience. You should never give up, even if it seems that there is no way out.
At first, Tessa incorrectly set priorities, because the fulfillment of her desires did not bring her joy. But one had only to overestimate what was happening, and then love appeared.
Although the end of the film cannot be called traditionally happy, but even without this, the picture teaches a lot. Sometimes not only adolescents, but also adults give in to serious problems, which are only exacerbated by cowardice. It is important to find strength in oneself, enjoy life and the ability to breathe.
If the picture made you think about something and overestimate your own views, then the director did everything right. And no matter what the critics say, the drama really penetrated the hearts not through pity and tragedy, but through the desire to live and love.
Finally, I want to say that you do not need to judge the film until you see it for yourself.