"Before I Go to Sleep" Film Adaptation

beforeigotosleep sjwatson
S.J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep was one of the most haunting novels of 2011.

In this psychological thriller, the British author tackled the power of memory, or rather the lack of memory, and how what we remember can affect our lives and even our emotions.

Before I Go to Sleep was the result of a writing workshop in Britain and was already a bestseller in Europe when it was released in the US. Critics and readers were pretty much unanimous in our enthusiasm about Watson's debut.

In Before I Go to Sleep, Christine Lucas wakes up not knowing who she is or who the man is next to her.

She thinks she is 27 years old, but clearly she is not. She has to look in the mirror to see that she is in her mid-40s. Her loving husband, Ben, tells her they have been married for 14 years and that she lost her memory following an accident years before. (A few ages and other details have been changed from the novel.)

But did she?

And why doesn't she care more about Ben, who clearly adores her? Ben, so patient, so kind, so careful to leave her a list of things she might do that day, things she might enjoy.

Her lack of memory also has taken away her feelings and she cannot connect with her husband. About the only person she seems to have a bond with is a neurologist. He has to remind her every day that she is keeping a journal and where to find it.

Before I Go to Sleep was one of my top debuts of 2011. I remember thinking that with the right cast, this could be a suspenseful film, a kind of updated Gaslight.

I got my wish.

The film version of Before I Go to Sleep will be released on October 31. Just looking at a few photographs and a couple of clips, the casting seems perfect. Nicole Kidman stars as Christine, with Colin Firth as her husband, Ben, and Mark Strong as Dr. Nash. The director is Rowan Joffe.

For a very creepy trailer of Before I Go to Sleep, visit this site.

Photo: Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman in Before I Go to Sleep. StudioCanal photo.

Oline Cogdill
2014-08-28 02:05:00