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paul-cochrane
Reviews
Rebecca (1979)
Probably the most authentic adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's original novel.
This adaptation of Rebecca is the most authentic to Daphne du Maurier's original masterpiece novel. Beautifully made and long enough over its four episodes to show most of the written story.
Jeremy Brett is a fantastic Maxim de Winter, playing the complex mecurial character with depth. Anna Massey is also wonderful in her portrail of the haunted and damaged Mrs Danvers. Joanna David also plays a convincing second Mrs de Winter. This version of Rebecca was also filmed in Cornwall, not too far from the locations that the original novel was set in, giving an added sence of authenticity. This is a very good adaptation of the original wonderful story.
Death on the Nile (2022)
Not even an adaptation. More of a poorly attempted recreation. Style, but no substance.
Absolutely not Poirot. I wonder how the Christie estate or guardians of her work can alow the terrible changes and alterations of the Poirot stories to happen like this. Money I guess, before they are free from copyright.
Stories become classics for a reason. Don't mess and rewrite with them to the level that the Branagh versions have. No way on earth was or could Poirot ever be a farmer!
I have no problem or issues Branagh generally. But he is simply not 'Poirot', and his versions of Murder on the Orient Express, and especially Death on the Nile are nothing more than unbelievable and unessasary butchery in the name of 'reworking' for a vanity project and a modern audience. Poirot has a history that should not be rewritten. Maybe the modern audience should learn the original versions of things instead of having everything adapted and simplified for them and their understanding.
The Branagh films should say 'loosely inspired by' Christie and Poirot, but should not claim to be the same work or use the names as a selling or marketing point.
The new films are little more than an apempted 'visual spectacular', selling out and and cashing in of a great writer's work and famous character for a quick profit. All style, no substance.
Rebecca (2020)
Poor reworking of a classic story.
I was so looking forward to this adaptation, but in the end it was a struggle to see it through to the end. There have been three adaptations of this wonderful novel. - 1940 Hitchcock. 1979 Jeremy Brett. 1997 Charles Dance. All three of these are good adaptations of du Maurier's novel, each with their own merrits.
Alarm bells stated to ring when this latest adaptation of Rebecca began to be marketed as a 'reworking' for a newer audience. As such they altered, added, changed, and removed key parts of the original story to a shadow of it's original self. There is a reason why stories become classics and this classic did not need 'reworking'. This could have been so good with the quality of actors and writers involved but instead, by tailoring for 'the next generation' who should know and learn the original instead of having things 'adapted' for them, they killed a classic story and squandered those talents involved.