Hey Guys!
It’s book vs. movie time. This time I took a look at Rosalie Ham’s and the 2015 adaptation starring Kate Winslet!
The Plot:
Tilly returns to her home in the Australian outback after 25 years. She’s an entirely different person than she was when she left. However, the only thing that’s changed about the town is her mother being ill. Tilly still struggles with a dramatic event that occurred in her youth and wonders whether she might have been cursed since then.
While she tries to figure out her past, dressmaker Tilly will certainly bring some fresh wind to this dusty bit of world.
Book vs. Movie:
I usually read the book first, but in this case I stumbled upon this flick on TV and only found out later that there actually is a novel. So today, I’m gonna kick off with the film!
First of all, Kate Winslet is absolutely wonderful. We all know that she certainly knows what she’s doing and doesn’t fail us with this performance. She has some great additional cast, but Kate is the shining star here.
Let me warn you. This movie might not be what you expect. It has some dark moments but also some rather weird humor. It’s the kind of thing you either love or hate as it can be somewhat irritating. However, it’s exactly down my alley.
Another point I need to mention is how visually impressive this film is. We get some amazing colorful dresses and design which contrast wonderfully with the dull and dusty town.
Let’s move to the novel.
It’s a wonderful book that is intense and moving. Rosalie Ham wrote a fascinating book that is hard to put down. The only aspect I struggled with is the whole fashion stuff. Each chapter is named after a different kind of fabric and there’s a lot of stuff in the novel about different designs and sewing techniques, etc. Unless you are very familiar (which I am not) with this kind of stuff, you’ll have trouble imagining what Ham is talking about which takes away a chunk of the experience.
So, in comparison I have to say that I prefer the film. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s visually stunning and some aspects of the book simply work better on screen. A big part is about fashion and that’s certainly something you need to look at to take it in. Furthermore, Kate Winslet is just so wonderful in bringing this all to life, that the book Tilly seemed a little pale in comparison.
The novel by Rosalie Ham is intricate and fascinating, but for me the story just works better with pictures to accompany the words. So in this chase, the movie is the better choice for me!
Did you read the book? Watch the movie? Let me know in the comments what you think!
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