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| Lick Movie Poster - Passionflix |
This is how it's done and done very well indeed.
That was the opening line of my book review for Kylie Scott's novel Lick in 2013. I rated the book 10 stars then, and 11 years later, this movie is my first to receive a 10-star rating. I have read and listened to the novel many times through the years, and the movie is so authentically done that I watched it 20 times in the first 13 days.
The stars have "literally" aligned because this Passionflix movie (movie trailer) is undeniably an accurate adaptation of the book, but with an outstanding Stage Dive original music soundtrack to liven everything up. Almost all of the book's key scenes are represented comparably in the movie. They are insightfully portrayed by Travis Burns as David Ferris, Brooke Lee as Evelyn Thomas, and Joseph McNabb as Malcolm "Mal" Ericson. The roles of Lauren and Sam are portrayed with genuineness by Amanda Tavarez and Aaron Quick Nelson, respectively. Eric Brody, as Jimmy Ferris, and Zack Mines, as Ben Nicholson, don't have enough screen time to fully convey their abilities, but they demonstrate definite intensity in their limited time on screen. With each viewing, I'm further surprised by Travis's remarkable performance. His screen presence, the natural way he delivers his lines, his gestures, facial expressions, his sparkling smile, and the way he looks at Ev are all so nuanced and genuine-feeling. Crush-worthy Book David has been elevated to top infatuation status by Movie David. The absence of long hair, different eye colors, and nonidentical tattoos can't detract from Travis being the ideal choice for David. Brooke Lee's Ev is adorable, charming, and radiant. She is exactly the right kind of "different" for David, who notices her inherent goodness from the start. Joseph McNabb was born to play Mal, who is the most endearing and entertaining of all the characters.
The movie arc makes for a fulfilling story, even though necessary steps had to be taken to condense a 300+ page book into an hour and forty-one minutes. (The movie is fast-paced with rapid dialogue and so many noteworthy scenes that I can't pick one favorite.) From the opening scene to the superb, swoon-worthy musical conclusion, Lick is a wholly rewarding romantic movie experience. Hopefully, the powers that be have determined that, given Lick's success, the other three novels need to be optioned and produced with the same level of detail, featuring the same cast, crew, and perfect casting of the new female leads.
That was the opening line of my book review for Kylie Scott's novel Lick in 2013. I rated the book 10 stars then, and 11 years later, this movie is my first to receive a 10-star rating. I have read and listened to the novel many times through the years, and the movie is so authentically done that I watched it 20 times in the first 13 days.
The stars have "literally" aligned because this Passionflix movie (movie trailer) is undeniably an accurate adaptation of the book, but with an outstanding Stage Dive original music soundtrack to liven everything up. Almost all of the book's key scenes are represented comparably in the movie. They are insightfully portrayed by Travis Burns as David Ferris, Brooke Lee as Evelyn Thomas, and Joseph McNabb as Malcolm "Mal" Ericson. The roles of Lauren and Sam are portrayed with genuineness by Amanda Tavarez and Aaron Quick Nelson, respectively. Eric Brody, as Jimmy Ferris, and Zack Mines, as Ben Nicholson, don't have enough screen time to fully convey their abilities, but they demonstrate definite intensity in their limited time on screen. With each viewing, I'm further surprised by Travis's remarkable performance. His screen presence, the natural way he delivers his lines, his gestures, facial expressions, his sparkling smile, and the way he looks at Ev are all so nuanced and genuine-feeling. Crush-worthy Book David has been elevated to top infatuation status by Movie David. The absence of long hair, different eye colors, and nonidentical tattoos can't detract from Travis being the ideal choice for David. Brooke Lee's Ev is adorable, charming, and radiant. She is exactly the right kind of "different" for David, who notices her inherent goodness from the start. Joseph McNabb was born to play Mal, who is the most endearing and entertaining of all the characters.
The movie arc makes for a fulfilling story, even though necessary steps had to be taken to condense a 300+ page book into an hour and forty-one minutes. (The movie is fast-paced with rapid dialogue and so many noteworthy scenes that I can't pick one favorite.) From the opening scene to the superb, swoon-worthy musical conclusion, Lick is a wholly rewarding romantic movie experience. Hopefully, the powers that be have determined that, given Lick's success, the other three novels need to be optioned and produced with the same level of detail, featuring the same cast, crew, and perfect casting of the new female leads.
Ten shiny (rock) stars for this faithful adaptation!
LICK is amazing! For me, it is the most perfect contemporary romance that checks all of my boxes. Although there are slight flaws, they are completely inconsequential and counterbalanced by other aspects that are remarkable. I will watch it again and again without ever losing my appreciation for it. A 10-star rating is not given lightly.
*Content advisory: partial nudity, tasteful sex scenes, language (lots of f-bombs!). These are rock stars, people. 😉
I was curious exactly how much of LICK (the book) ended up in LICK (the movie). See all of those pink tabs? They represent either the exact dialogue or only a slight variation between the book and the movie. All the blue tabs represent scenes from the book that were included in the movie, with some modifications. The light green tabs represent dialogue and scenes in the book that didn’t make it into the movie. For those of us who have watched it many times, we know how closely the movie adheres to the book. For those devoted readers who are unsure about watching the movie, perhaps seeing proof of how closely adapted it is will help.
