The Normal Heart - Ramble edition

[aragarna]

So, I've finally watched The Normal Heart. Here are a few random thoughts from the film.

Comments

[embroiderama]

I would have liked this to be dealt with more between Ned and Felix. Instead, I felt like they didn't really think about it and their story was disconnected from what was happening around them - until it caught up with them. And I really wanted to have more of Felix's side of the story. Not because I wanted more Matt (though I wouldn't have minded) but because he's the one living it. We had a couple of hints by the end, but I wish we had more of what it was like for him, at that time.Compared to the play, they actually did give us quite a lot more. The play itself had much more of an emphasis on the anger and outrage with much less on the romantic and everyday life side of things. For the movie, they added a bunch more of the Felix scenes--the sex scene, the cuddling, some of the scenes showing the impact of the disease on him, etc.--and in some cases toned down the ranting

[aragarna]

Thanks for your reply. You are probably right. I didn't read the play so I can't say. But it's interesting that you mentioned that they fleshed out Felix and the domestic side because I did feel the film was hesitating between the political manifesto and the romantic/personal tragedy. And I was thinking it would either be better with a better focus on the gradual mobilization, or on the love story. I think both aspect would deserve a film on its own.