I'm a huge fan of Robert Cormier, and like the above reviewers, found the rarity of this film most frustrating. Funnily enough though, I won this on original VHS for one pound (a UK release) so now I have seen all the filmed adaptations of Cormier's novels (except for the currently being produced Tenderness with Russell Crowe). The Chocolate War was a poor version of Cormier's best known work - complete with the Hollywood ending. It was a great start, but ended badly. The Bumblebee Flies Anyway was a great little by-the-numbers low budget (TV) movie, and the original version of I am the Cheese (featuring Cormier himself in a small role) was OK as well, though some bad performances and another dud ending change. So the second version of I am the Cheese - called Lapse of Memory (a better title given the fact I am the Cheese/Farmer in the Dell is not mentioned, and is better explained/suited to the book) - is again not bad. It sticks in some areas closer to the novel, in others it deviates. The direction is a bit all over the place (at least on the fullscreen version I saw), and John Hurt's performance is not his finest hour. The child actors are more than competent though. My big gripe though is this - I'm glad its set in Cormier's French Canada (where most of his books are set) and uses a combination of French and English that Canadians speak there, but what is the deal about not providing subtitles? This is a UK VHS (where they don't speak French!) so I missed major chunks of dialogue all in French. There was one entire scene revolving around the mother - looked very emotional - that was entirely in French but I have no idea what it was. Very frustrating. I like authenticity of language (Passion of the Christ was a masterpiece in this regard) but subtitle it please! Definitely should be out on subbed DVD. Otherwise, a pleasant way to spend 80 min, though there's a better film of this (and most of Cormier's fiction) lurking - if only someone could give it a decent budget. Perhaps Crowe's presence in Tenderness might revive his fine works.
Review of Lapse of Memory
