Delayed Reaction: Rebecca (2020)

Premise: A young woman marries a recently widowed rich man and wonders how she can match up to his ex-wife.

 

I like the different parts that make up this movie. I like the 1940 Hitchcock film based on the same book. I'll watch Lily James in just about anything. Armie Hammer and Kristin Scott Thomas are quite reliable too. I love director Ben Wheatley's 2017 release, Free Fire. So, I had no reason to dislike this Rebecca remake. I was rooting for it.

 

And I didn't dislike the movie. Frankly, I responded to it with more of a shrug. As much as I like everyone involved, almost no one seemed right for this. Armie Hammer and Lily James are a little too similar in age. Hammer should he a little older than he is. James should be a little younger than she is. Hammer doesn't brood quite right. James isn't the right kind of innocent going in. Ben Wheatley isn't the director I would've thought of for this either. I'm not familiar with all his work, but romance and simmering thrillers don't seem to be his strengths. This movie peters out at the end when it really should be tightening the screws. Also, I know it's locationally accurate, but did this movie seem too sunny for anyone else? It's hard to make a sunny suspenseful movie. I don't know why. It just is.

 

That's not to say the movie was without merit. Kristin Scott Thomas is quite good as Mrs. Danvers. The locations and characters are handsomely dressed with period detail. Even though James and Hammer aren't the optimal casting choices, they aren't woefully out of place either. Hammer is good at being distant and quick to anger. James can certainly convey a sense of discovery and frustration with her new surroundings.

 

Again, it's not that this Rebecca remake is awful or even unwelcome. It just feels like a movie that was announced in 2015 with a completely different set of actors and director that all rotated out as it was delayed and James, Hammer, and Wheatley were just the names that happened to be attached by the time it finally moved to production. I was actually quite surprised to see that, according to Wikipedia at least, this was set up with those names as the first choices and no delays getting it made.

 

Verdict: Weakly Don't Recommend