Rebecca

Rebecca_360P

Rebecca_720p(480P)

source: Rebecca

source: Rebecca

The lead actress was incredibly annoying! The writing was horrendous, the lead was so weak and timid, she jumped at everything and was incredibly irritating. The only reason I gave it a 1 was because of the beautiful house and scenery.

I was looking forward to this production as a fan of the book and the Hitchcock film and was wondering what a new version would add to it. The answer is - nothing, apart from a bit of sex on the beach ( not the cocktail). The two leads were totally uncharismatic. I am not familiar with Armie Hammer as an actor, he gave a creditable performance and looked handsome. Unfortunately, it wasn't of Maxim De Winter. There was no class, he was much too gentle and friendly and when he admitted how much he hated Rebecca, he just came over as a wimp. Lily James played the part of the un-named second wife as a school girl, why on earth would Maxim be interested in her. There was no gothic tension, Manderley appeared to be a large open library, as everyone trecked through a large tiled hallway that went on for ages. There was some beautiful photography of the South of France, but the restaurant refusing to serve the paid companion because she wasn't a guest was nonsense. She had a room at the hotel. After the first hour, I began to be bored and lost interest, but felt duty bound to stick with it to the end. I liked the performance of the cad by Sam Riley and it took me ages to work out where I had seen him before and then remembered it was the TV mini series SS-GB. However, in that he had a deep gravelly voice, damaged it was said at the time for singing Heavy Metal. Now he has morphed into SImon Williams. Everything dragged on and then was wound up quickly - a case of they think it's all over, it is now. If she was alive, Daphne Du Maurier must wonder where she went wrong.

This adds nothing to a classic. It is so lame of a remake, all it can do is try not to embarrass itself too badly as it did with that horrendous yellow suit. The acting is subpar, the few changes just takes away from the story, the costumes made you cringe at times, there was no mystery, no suspense, no foreboding atmosphere, no thrill and not even the Danvers character could add anything redeeming to this. There was nothing in this version that made the original such a timeless classic. At least in others adaptions, there was something of worth, even if it could not live up to its predecessor. You might want to stick to the original and forget this ever was made.

This movie is not a 'remake' of the 1940 Hitchcock version. It is a book adaptation, which is what I think people tend to forget. I have read the book and seen the earlier film version and I think others are being a bit overdramatic with comparisons. It is fine to prefer the Hitchcock version but I think this movie did a good job. It was enjoyable, acted well, and beautifully shot. I was expecting this to be a fun, light hearted romance based off other's comments and was pleasantly surprised. It did have a Great Gatsby feel at first when they were in Monte Carlo but that quickly changes once they get to Manderley and the difference is stark. The psychological aspect was definitely there and I found myself very anxious watching the narrator deal with the 'ghost' of Rebecca. Lily James did well portraying the main character as insecure and paranoid, and much of it was communicated through her body language. I felt her emotions right along with her. My biggest disappointment was the lack of relationship development with Max, and I also think they could have cast someone older because the large age difference isn't present here. Overall, I enjoyed this film. It could have went a bit longer, and I was fine with the ending. I actually prefer the ending over the Hitchcock version where Rebecca died accidentally instead of actually being murdered by her husband. To me that totally changes the whole narrative and I'm glad they kept true to the book there. It's a heavier story and I appreciated the upbeat final scene. Definitely a movie to watch and form your own opinions on. If you enjoy gothic romances, give this a chance.

I don't understand why you would attempt to remake a film who's shoes are just too big to fill. First off the film looks great especially the scenes in France and the story is good but that is the source materials fault not anyone involved with this film. I thought it was pretty bland apart from the points above. The characters were just so blah. I literally cared more about Clarice the maid than the lead characters. She seemed nice which is at least an adjective, I can't really think of any adjectives to describe Mr and Mrs de Winters. So that tells you something. I was really looking forward to the costumes too but for the most part I was let down. They stuck Mrs de Winter in like dumpy hats and cardigans that you could go and pick up from H & M. I don't understand this choice. In the Hitchcock film they give her interesting dresses and stylish tops. I was so confused. I also don't believe the reviews that say this captures old Hollywood. I didn't feel it, it 100% felt like a 2020 film. If you want a old Hollywood movie just go and watch one. I would honestly skip it, it was pretty confused. The first chunk of the movie felt like full romance but then it shifts into like a boring drama then it's all like Frankensteined together with horror tropes like "jump scares". It had no point of view.

A good story is like a roller coaster of hills and valleys. The hills build suspense and drama and the valleys provide relief and relaxation - and enjoyment. This movie has no valleys and no enjoyment (or very little). The original story by Daphne Du Maurier is of a charming ingenue orphan who meets and falls in love with a mysterious, haunted, sophisticated, aristocrat - Maxime DeWinter. This interpretation is a hero's tale of an abject mouse who survives persecution to rise up over her tormentor, becomes a heroine who thwarts a police investigation to save her husband from prison and even attempts to save her persecutor (Mrs. Danvers) from a watery grave. The main character is so pathetic from the start it is hard to imagine why DeWinter falls in love with her. The transformation from mouse to feisty heroin who beards the lion (Danvers) in her own den is unbelievable, not to mention her transformation into Sherlock Holmes daringly chasing down clues. He, on the other hand is suspiciously bland and characterless; he has been stripped of his personality to such a degree that he is merely a placeholder for 'handsome brooding aristocrat.' Do we even care what happens to either of them? Not much. The complexity of the original story has been replaced with a single note in a minor key; it is repeated in every chord, louder and louder to attempt to build to a climax. I understand that the writers and director were trying to adapt this story for a contemporary audience which is desensitized to subtlety by highly sensational, violent, and epic tales, but they have twisted this story into something unrecognizable to the author and her fans. I gave it 6 stars instead of 5 because the settings are quite stunning.