Warm Bodies - a book with brains, a film with heart.

So I read about Warm Bodies, the film, aaaaaages ago and made up my mind to see it because, let's face it, Nicholas Hoult is one of the hottest zombies you've ever seen. Once I realised that it was being adapted from a book I knew I would have to read it before seeing the film. I was a bit wary at first, because, well, Warm Bodies the book is shelved under Horror in bookshops - totally not a genre I usually read. But I was determined. *adopts determined face as seen in many superhero movies*

The book

I started reading the book about... Two weeks before the film was released, to give myself plenty of time to get it finished. 
And I fell in love with it. 
I cannot even describe the beauty of this book. I wasn't expecting so much of to be so profound (good word that, profound.) I mean seriously Isaac Marion, you somehow managed to make me fall in love with a guy whose heart doesn't even beat? Kudos. There are so many life lessons in this book which on the face of it appears to be about death. The character of R, who can't speak to girl he's fallen in love with, is just so... I don't even know, but his evolution from a mouldy suit-and-tie guy to a living, breathing human with spirit and soul and love is so beautiful. 
I haven't read anything quite so exquisite in a long time.

The film

Absolutely hilarious. This "zom-rom-com" as it's been dubbed, is literally so funny, and the main character barely says ten consecutive words. The simplicity of the plot (boy meets girl, they can't be together) combined with the absurd nature of the situation creates a balanced tentative-yet-bold humour rarely seen. There obvious deviations from the book but I think they're done well, so a thumbs-up from me on the translation to screen!
Now, I can't let this review go by without a mention to the soundtrack - the placement of Roy Orbison's Pretty Woman is priceless. And again, reflecting the book so perfectly:

"Music is life! It’s physical emotion - you can touch it! It’s neon ecto-energy sucked out of spirits and switched into sound waves for your ears to swallow."

The soundtrack in many ways gives the film its life as it is through his vast collection of records that R finds a way to communicate with Julie, creating some smiling-in-the-darkness-of-the-cinema moments. Shout-out to the sound guys.

Verdict

Do whatever it takes to watch this film.

Perfection.

A thankyou going out to Isaac Marion, you brilliant guy, what a storyteller you are, and also to Nicholas Hoult and Theresa Palmer for bringing life - or living death? - to these characters.

Rx