Rosemarys Baby Digital

Good movie.

very good really enjoyed the movie

Great

Good movie-they did a nice job on this renake.

Does what it says on the tin!

A part of me has such mixed feelings about all these remakes of various classic movies that now have Black starring characters. Not because I am against seeing diversity, but because I’d rather see money put into original media than rehashes of old media. Especially when, in films like Rosemary’s Baby, all that seems to change is the skin tone. There is no cultural adaptation, or even a recognition that something has changed in comparison to the original, it is just a darker face which once was played by a white person. For more on the film, look below. Characters & Story If you’ve seen the original, not much has changed structure wise. A young woman and her husband find themselves moving into a building with strange owners; the wife is unemployed, but not without things to do; and as her husband finds himself rising both economically and socially, she finds him changing in ways which makes him not seem like the man she fell in love with. And while, at first, she has a decent relationship with her neighbors, her landlords in this film, as time wears on they become odder and odder, and while she slightly questions things, she never pursues running away from the situation fully. This is despite multiple warnings, horrible nightmares, and coincidental murders which would be red flags for normal people. But with things going well, until nearly the end, there is the question of how ignorant is Rosemary and why was this film remade? Praise A part of me feels like Zoe Saldana should be applauded for becoming the new Halle Berry. Someone who looks “exotic,” has the ability to come off vulnerable or strong, and can bring that to any role. Something which helps ease the boredom which comes with watching Rosemary’s Baby, especially if you’ve seen the original. Criticism However, like with the many remakes that decide to put a physical racial spin on things, you are sort of left wondering what was the point? For while the Whitney Houston and Brandy starring Cinderella, Dorothy Dandrige in Carmen Jones, and maybe this year’s Annie maybe an exception, generally it just seems like the money put into these remakes could have gone to better places. Take for example: rather than do a remake of a well-known movie, and use the name of the movie and a few recognizable actors as the basis of why people should watch, why not make something original or inspired? What was really keeping Rosemary’s Baby from taking place in Louisiana and adapting things to which perhaps Hollywood’s perception of Voodoo could have been used in lieu of Satanism? I mean, while there are some remakes which many have fallen in love with, and would argue are on par, or better, than the original, when movies are simply new faces in old roles; a modern retelling; or even race swaps which either don’t seem culturally influenced, or are done for some shallow type of diversity, it makes me wonder who is the person so willing to throw money away on media like this? Overall: Skip It As said in the overview, just watch the original. For while Saldana certainly isn’t horrible as Rosemary, at the same time you can see she is more so channeling Mia Farrow than making this her role and trying to make you feel any of this is original. I guess, like the Psycho remake of the 90s, this film wanted to cash in on a known brand with new actors. Something which it doesn’t succeed in doing in any sense since the film tries to change things to create some sense of originality, but in the end it feels like no one really wanted to put their own spin on things and only changed things just enough so no one could say this was a modernized shot for shot remake to add onto its deserved criticism.

Some movies shouldnt be remade no matter how tempting it is to see Zoe Saldana in her underwear. But, I guess after 46 years NBC figured why not? There is a whole new generation out there, perhaps two, who have no awareness of the original movie (1968), or Ira Levins book (1966) that it was based on. So, we get this glamorous redux, set in Paris no less, with the major characters bearing the same names. I guess Castevet sounds French, no? Of course Guy and Rosemary are Americans in Paris, who soon find themselves enjoying the good graces of the very handsome Castevets. In an interview before the premier, Zoe said it took a great deal of cajones to go back to the classic and give it a bold new look. That would have been fine if the two-part mini-series offered a daring new interpretation. Instead, all we get is a reshuffling of the narrative and characters like a pack of tarot cards, bringing the story up to the 21st century. It seems Zoe was the driving force behind this movie, making it her baby, so to speak, dragging in her siblings as co-producers. Agnieszka Holland appeared to be there to steer things, not direct the movie. It didnt strike me as her style at all. Perhaps the most jarring aspect is the lack of humor, which is what made the original story so disarming. What we get here is a very earnest film with very earnest performances. The devil is made manifest right from the start, so there is no mystery, let alone suspense here. Rather than a doddering coven of old witches, we get immaculately dressed middle-aged witches living in one of the most exclusive addresses in Paris, the Chimera. The building itself looks straight out of the Art Nouveau era. There isnt even a grimy basement where Rosemary first met Terry doing laundry and learned about the Castavets. Instead, we see a woman, apparently of some ancient Turkish descent, jump off the balcony, and Rosemary spends the rest of the movie trying to figure out why. We know this is going to be a sinister movie, and have no trust in the Castevets. Recasting guy as an English professor and writer also wasnt a very wise move. Getting tenure is not something you just happen into, especially at his tender age. Being an actor was perfect, as all it took was a lucky break, which Guy got when a rival actor was all the sudden struck blind. Guy was on his way. Instead, we get a gruesome scene where the apparently much better qualified woman (judging by the stack of books she carries) loses her mind, stabbing the interviewer, with the scene ending in a bloody heap, literally. Where is the wit and cajones here? Of course, young Guy (woodenly played by Patrick J. Adams) gets the job, thanks to Roman who is a professor at the same university and has his connections. The Woodhouses move from their cramped teachers dorm to the Chimera, right into the waiting arms of the Castevets. The creative juices soon start to flow. The good conscience is played by Christina Cole as Julie. She is best friends with Zoe and apparently Guys former lover. Or, was it an act of indiscretion at some point? I wasnt exactly sure. She is an aspiring chef in Paris and gets together with Rosemary in cooking class from time to time. Julie is an amalgamation of several characters from the original story. She senses something is amiss during Ros pregnancy and gets her another doctor, who has the benefit of ultrasound to see the devil within. You know things are not going to end well for Julie. With Hutch out, Zoe or Agnieszka decided to create a police commissioner, Msr. Fontaine, to act as the second voice of conscience. He is well played by Olivier Rabourdin. Youre not quite sure whether he is part of the coven or not. One of the few mysteries in this movie. Zoe comes to put all her faith in him, but it is a foregone conclusion how this film will turn out. The poor commissioner doesnt stand a chance against the likes of the Castevets. Roman and Margaux are quite a departure from the original, but it was a master stroke to cast Carole Bouquet as Margaux. She is ravishing and devious, orchestrating events like the devil herself, although as in the original we find out that Roman is the latest reincarnation of the devil, a lineage he has carried forth in Rosemary. No real surprise here, but Jason Isaacs fits the role well. So, yes, this movie ends the same as did the first, otherwise it wouldnt be Rosemarys Baby.

I thought this was the old version of Rosemary’s Baby. This one takes place in Paris and I couldn’t follow a lot of it. And I hate movies you have to read.

Quick delivery and plays great practically like new. Colors and screen with no streaks. Fabulous condition. Glad I purchased when I did. It made it worth waiting fot

I cannot believe this aired on NBC, or any broadcast network. It carries the same malicious heft that the stupendous original did. Dont listen to the critics, they just hate all remakes. I was leary of this one as soon as I heard it was being remade, due to my absolute love of the first. I had nothing to worry about. Zaldana brings her own vibe to Rosemary, something that could have been very easy to foul up. The real stars here are Jason Isaacs and Carole Bouquet. Isaacs is positively devilish in the best of ways, in a role I was sure he was miscast in, boy did he prove me so wrong. Bouquet... where do I start? She is simply astonishing here. Every one of her scenes she shreds like a master. I could watch her and Isaacs in these roles forever! In the end, there are elements of this update that I love more than the original, and that is saying something. Dont hesitate, buy right now!