Tag Archives: Bill Paterson

2020 Films, Ann Dowd, Armie Hammer, Ben Wheatley, Bill Paterson, British, Keeley Hawes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Thriller

Rebecca-2020

Leave a comment

Rebecca-2020

Director Ben Wheatley

Starring Lily James, Armie Hammer, Kristin Scott Thomas

Scott’s Review #1,430

Reviewed June 30, 2024

Grade: A-

Impossible to compare to the legendary 1940 Alfred Hitchcock film, I tried very hard to take the 2020 retelling of Rebecca based on its merits. After all, it’s been eighty years, and other attempts have been made, mostly forgotten or irrelevant.

Aware of lukewarm reviews by other critics, I desperately set those aside and settled in for a macabre, dark, ghostly British thriller.

The film is quite good! Feeling fresh and with a polished cinematic look, I’d describe it as a modern British offering, despite being set in a long-ago era.

For comparison, it reminds me of the British television series Downton Abbey (2010-2015) in terms of its look and feel—a grandiose estate, dutiful servants, and a cast of other wealthy and not-so-wealthy characters.

A young newlywed (character nameless) arrives at her husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy lives in the house long after her death.

The lead actress, Lily James, whom I initially couldn’t recall, is best known for Downton Abbey and the 2023 film The Iron Claw.

The character she plays, the insecure second Mrs. de Winter, is confused and haunted, requiring terrific acting. James hits it out of the park on that front.

Emotionally abused by her employer, wickedly played by Ann Dowd, she is instantly heroic and likable so we are happy when she graduates from servant to queen bee.

I cringed at first when I realized that the gorgeous and lovely Kristin Scott Thomas was playing the pivotal role of the villainous Mrs. Danvers. Known for the film The English Patient (1996), where she played the romantic Katharine Clifton, I wasn’t sure she’d be able to go so dark.

Boy, was I wrong? It took me a bit to channel out the dastardly performance by Judith Anderson from the original and accept Scott Thomas. She gets better with each scene and even forces the audience to sympathize with her.

Finally, Armie Hammer is good in the lead role of Maxim de Winter. Handsome, sophisticated, and wealthy, he peculiarly fancies a lady’s maid who inexplicably becomes his wife.

We wonder what he sees in her when his deceased wife, Rebecca, was gorgeous, affluent, and a perfectionist. Rebecca was presumed to have drowned in a terrible boating accident, but as events unfold, we wonder if there’s more to the story.

If only the characters communicated with each other, it would have eliminated confusion. Maxim refuses to talk about Rebecca. If his true feelings were revealed, he’d have a different kind of second marriage.

Besides the story and acting, other elements make Rebecca circa 2020 worth watching.

The cinematography captures crashing waves and high cliffs, which provide a haunting mood; the dining room and kitchen sequences brim with goodness and excellent meals.

The art direction and set design are overall flawless in the presentation.

The costume party that Mrs. de Winter eagerly plans and hopes will admonish the house of any thoughts of Rebecca going wrong, which, for viewers, is a delight because the scene is already rich.  With help from Danvers, a regal red costume is designed and prepared to showcase Mrs. de Winter.

When she confidently descends the staircase, the startled crowd gasps with fright at the similarities between her and Rebecca. Maxim angrily dismisses her to change outfits while Danvers smirks in the background.

She’s won round one.

The Danvers/Mrs de Winter feud is my favorite aspect of Rebecca (both original and 2020 versions), so it’s delightful to see it work so well with Scott Thomas and James.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as watching a film with little expectations and finishing it feeling fulfilled, still thinking about it the next morning.

I’ll always watch 1940s Rebecca as a treasured friend, but Rebecca (2020) quite capably offers a modern spin with good acting and lavish production values.

1989 Films, Adventure, Bill Paterson, British, C. Thomas Howell, Christopher Lee, Frank Finlay, Geraldine Chaplin, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Kim Cattrall, Michael York, Oliver Reed, Philippe Noiret, Richard Chamberlain, Richard Lester, Roy Kinnear

The Return of the Musketeers-1989

Leave a comment

The Return of the Musketeers-1989

Director Richard Lester

Starring Michael York, Oliver Reed

Scott’s Review #1,401

Reviewed September 24, 2023

Grade: B

The Return of the Musketeers (1989) is the third Musketeers film directed by Richard Lester, following 1973’s The Three Musketeers and 1974’s The Four Musketeers.

George MacDonald Fraser wrote each screenplay.

This is key to mention because a strong continuity helps make the film fun and charming.

The results of the same person directing and writing resonate on screen in several ways. The characters feel truthful, and their motivations are clear.

A rich sense of the characters’ history is apparent, making the film a pleasing adventure for fans of the franchise.

After ambitious Oliver Cromwell (Alan Howard) overthrows the king, Cardinal Mazarin (Philippe Noiret) enlists a down-and-out D’Artagnan (Michael York) to rally the Musketeers against him.

Porthos (Frank Finlay) accepts the mission at once, but Athos (Oliver Reed) and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain) hesitate at first. Eventually, the three reunite, but they are soon torn apart by infighting and a situation from their past.

They get a chance at redemption when they are sent to England to save the life of King Charles I (Bill Paterson).

There is some slapstick play to endure, making The Return of the Musketeers feel juvenile at times when characters are bopped over the head or otherwise trip and fall in silly form.

For this type of adventure film, the plot is too complicated and veers in different directions a shade too often. I wondered more than once if I was in France or England.

This makes the minor characters difficult to keep track of, and Christopher Lee’s character of Comte de Rochefort once again has little to do.

The costumes and the French setting are a major victory, and the history lessons provided, especially the British and French kings and queens, are more than fulfilling.

We delved into our history books to determine which King Louis reigned when and who was aligned with the film (it’s Louis XIV during the 1600s).

The point of the film, made 15 years after the second film, is to please fans, and the result is a huge success.

I’m a sort of fan with my hubby being a big fan, and we both enjoyed the resurfacing of familiar characters.

It feels like old-home week. The reunion of the musketeers feels like witnessing a family reunion. As D’Artagnan, Porthos, Athos, and Aramis embraced each other, we felt their warmth.

Since the characters played by Raquel Welch and Faye Dunaway (Milady) were dead, a creative idea was to introduce her daughter, Justine, played by Kim Cattrall, into the story. Athos also has a son named Raoul, played by C. Thomas Howell.

This provides a further nod to history and introduces compelling lead characters who have a connection to familiar characters.

It is also an example of good writing and storytelling. Despite the characters being new to the audience, we already care about them because of their ties to other beloved characters.

To make the film more sentimental, a sad incident occurred during filming. Actor Roy Kinnear, who plays lovable Planchet, died following an on-camera accident in which he fell off a horse.

His role was completed using a stand-in, filmed from the rear, with lines dubbed in by a voice artist.

The film is dedicated to him.

Reuniting most of the original cast years later makes The Return of the Musketeers (1989) a warm experience.

Beautiful costumes, locales, and history raise the film above expectations, considering it’s a third installment.

1990 Films, Anjelica Huston, Bill Paterson, Brenda Blethyn, Children, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Fantasy, Jane Horrocks, Jasen Fisher, Jenny Runacre, Jim Carter, Mai Zetterling, Nicolas Roeg, Rowan Atkinson

The Witches-1990

Leave a comment

The Witches-1990

Director Nicolas Roeg

Starring Angelica Huston, Mai Zetterling 

Scott’s Review #483

20282991

Reviewed September 20, 2016

Grade: B-

The Witches (1990) is a G-rated family film with a slightly dark tone, handled softly, as it is targeted at children. However, it is a film that adults may love too.

I found the film entertaining, with impressive special effects and a dazzling comedic performance by Angelica Huston. Still, ultimately, The Witches has a silly quality, though admittedly not trite, that does not quite make it a success in my book.

The film is based on a Roald Dahl children’s book, with a child as the central character, similar to other Dahl novels that were adapted into films such as James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I cannot help but wonder whether my mediocre rating of The Witches is due to not having read the novel, even though I have read the other aforementioned novels in his collection.

Our hero in the story is Luke- a kindly, innocent young boy living in Norway with his parents and grandmother, Helga. When his folks are tragically killed, his grandmother takes him to London to begin a new life for themselves.

When Helga falls ill, they stay at a seaside resort where they stumble upon a convention of witches disguised as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Luke and his plump friend Bruno fall victim to the witch’s plot to turn children into mice. The witch group is led by the Grand High Witch (Huston), whom the other witches fawn over with grandiose praise.

Huston is fantastic as she overacts the part she plays- this is not a bad thing, but it makes the role quite fun and energetic.

When she transforms from a glamorous woman to a shriveled monster, the transformation is interesting to watch and an impressive part of the film.

Furthermore, the way Luke and Bruno interact as mice is also cute and a positive aspect of the film.

I enjoyed the aspect that, if watched closely, reveals that numerous witches are men wearing female wigs. This successfully gives the witches a grotesque, obviously mannish quality and emits a chuckle of pleasure at the same time.

Still, there is something slightly childish or juvenile about the offering, while the film appears dark on the surface. The subject is played for laughs rather than going full steam ahead as a dark film.

Undoubtedly, this is due to the target audience that the film is going for. For instance, the hotel manager’s affair with a hotel maid seems slightly unnecessary.

The Witches (1990) is a decent offering due to respect for the creative aspects that it elicits- I just felt the story might have been done a bit more seriously.

Additionally, the ending feels slightly forced and abrupt- a Hollywood-intended ending perhaps?