Based on...
Books and films are two closely-related forms of art and entertainment. Since the science of film was first established in the late 1800s filmmakers have been using it to tell stories, and they soon began utilising the existing narratives and characters of novels. These films have succeeded (or not) to varying degrees in the transition, some accurately portraying the writer's intention, some building on it and some disappointing the original readers. No matter how well the adaptation is done however, it is still nice to be reminded that yes, happily, there is more to read than Harry Potter.
For screen translations of Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Stephen King and many other notable authors click their links under this category, left. For adaptations of plays and Shakespeare, use the 'Alice's Playhouse' link.
Right: Kubrick's adaptation of Thackeray's novel 'Barry Lyndon'.
Hunting and Gathering (2007)
6.8/10
Director: Claude Berri
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Guillaume Canet, Laurent Stocker, Francoise Bertin, Alain Sachs,...
AKA "Ensemble, C'est Tout". An uplifting and charming romantic comedy following the lives of several lonely Parisians; Audrey Tautou stars as an anore... Read more
I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang (1932)
8.1/10
Director: Mervyn LeRoy
Starring: Glenda Farrell, Preston Foster, Paul Muni, Helen Vinson
Mervyn LeRoy's searing adaptation of Robert E. Burns' autobiography stars Paul Muni as a drifter unfairly sentenced to 10 years' hard labour on a Geor... Read more
I Am David (2003)
7.3/10
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Joan Plowright, Ben Tibber
A brave 12-year-old boy escapes from a Communist concentration camp in Bulgaria, making his way across Europe in order to deliver an important letter... Read more
I Am Legend (2007)
7.2/10
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Dash Mihok
A grand sci-fi actioner, this is the third film version of Richard Matheson's novel (after 'The Last Man on Earth' and 'The Omega Man'). Will Smith st... Read more
I Am Legend ( Blu-ray ) (2007)
7.2/10
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga
A grand sci-fi actioner, this is the third film version of Richard Matheson's novel (after 'The Last Man on Earth' and 'The Omega Man'). Will Smith st... Read more
I Married a Witch (1942)
7.2/10
Director: Rene Clair
Starring: Cecil Kellaway, Fredric March, Susan Hayward, Veronica Lake, Robert Warwick, Rob...
Based on the unfinished novel by Thorne Smith (later filmed as 'Bell, Book and Candle' and the 'Bewitched' TV series), this saucy romantic comedy star... Read more
I Walked With A Zombie / The Body Snatcher (1945)
Director: Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise
Starring: James Ellison, Frances Dee, Tom Conway, Bela Lugosi, Henry Daniell, Edith Atwate...
Double bill of classic chillers from producer Val Lewton opens with the moody, dreamlike 'I Walked with a Zombie', in which the nurse to a West Indies... Read more
I'm Losing You (1998)
5.2/10
Director: Bruce Wagner
Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Frank Langella, Andrew McCarthy, Elizabeth Perkins, Amanda Don...
Adapted from his acclaimed novel Bruce Wagner directs this unsettling look at a wealthy L.A. family dealing with death and dysfunction. Frank Langella... Read more
I, Anna (2012)
6.1/10
Director: Barnaby Southcombe
Starring: Charlotte Rampling, Gabriel Byrne, Eddie Marsan, Hayley Atwell
London-set noir thriller about the relationship between femme fatale Anna (Charlotte Rampling) and the detective investigating a brutal murder (Gabrie... Read more
I, Claudius (1976)
8.9/10
Starring: Brian Blessed, Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Patrick Stewart, Sian Phillips, George B...
Based on the novels by Robert Graves, and the winner of 4 British Academy Awards for Film and Television, Claudius's epic story spans the analogues of... Read more