Thursday, January 19, 2006

The Limit - reading with fresh eyes

Updated:
Just taken my first look at this draft of The Limit. My overall impression is that the
script's a great read now. Really fast. Pacing seems about right. And I was continually interested. I had a couple of plot issues, but that’s about it. I've got a meeting about it with AB tomorrow, where I'll bring up a few specifics:

I don’t think the first 15 pages quite set up the story or the characters – it needs a little room to breathe after the trial & a little more focus on the Peter/Taine relationship.

First half is pretty effective, with some nicely shocking moments. Second half of Act 2 seems a little samey. Most of the subtler emotional changes need to be communicated more clearly. But I was getting a little punchy from reading at that point.

(It's odd. That second half used to be the unequivocal highlight of the script; now it seems weaker than the new material. I hope that's a good sign.)

I have a weird feeling, thinking about the script now. A feeling like, for the first time with the Limit, I'm not that sure what edits I'd like to make to it. I've had that feeling before - with other scripts - and it's usually indicated that further tinkering tips the story over the edge and starts to break it.

It's also weird to me that to me the film will be quite slow and deliberate with lots of breathing space, whereas the script tends to read like two deformed hillbilly truants attacking you relentlessly with sledgehammers. That might turn out to be a problem, too.

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