Don Siegel's The Beguiled is an underrated gem of the 70s that went pretty much unnoticed for quite some time. So when Sofia Coppola announced that she was remaking the film, it was kinda surprising. Surprising because who in the hell would remake The Beguiled and kinda not surprising given the subject matter and timely political message that it could push. Despite it being such an out of left field choice for a remake, the end product is a very well made and perfectly acted film. Starring Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell, The Beguiled tells a story of wounded Civil War solider that seeks medical attention from a house of women in the rural South. Upon his arrival at the all-women facility, passion and lust become abound when the soldier begins to romance the women one by one. With each relationship he starts, jealousy arises between the women which leads to a shocking act of desperation.
Personally, I thought the film was paced very well. It flowed very fluidly and was actually surprisingly funny. Granted, this is a borderline dark comedy at times but it works very well due to the impeccable acting from the cast. Kirsten Dunst gives the performance of her career here and really carries a lot of the film despite her role being somewhat limited considering the impact she has on the film. I wouldn't rule her out of the competition at the end of the year. She really does a great job. Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell also give really tremendous performances that just elevate Dunst that much more. Elle Fanning is as sultry as can be but less impressive because the role is not much different from her character in Ben Affleck's Live by Night. Despite this, the film keeps a genuine tension throughout it whether that'd be violent or sexual is completely up to whatever side of the 93 minute running time.
Make no mistake, The Beguiled is most certainly a well acted film but it feels like it is unnecessary. At times it feels a little more political than it needs to be and, a majority of the time, feels like it could have been a better film especially considering the immense talent in front of the camera. Overall, the film is far from being the average remake. It is well paced, has brilliant performances and keeps a steady handle on itself as a potboiler thriller with a hint of dark comedy. It is far from great but definitely worth watching.
Personally, I thought the film was paced very well. It flowed very fluidly and was actually surprisingly funny. Granted, this is a borderline dark comedy at times but it works very well due to the impeccable acting from the cast. Kirsten Dunst gives the performance of her career here and really carries a lot of the film despite her role being somewhat limited considering the impact she has on the film. I wouldn't rule her out of the competition at the end of the year. She really does a great job. Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell also give really tremendous performances that just elevate Dunst that much more. Elle Fanning is as sultry as can be but less impressive because the role is not much different from her character in Ben Affleck's Live by Night. Despite this, the film keeps a genuine tension throughout it whether that'd be violent or sexual is completely up to whatever side of the 93 minute running time.
Make no mistake, The Beguiled is most certainly a well acted film but it feels like it is unnecessary. At times it feels a little more political than it needs to be and, a majority of the time, feels like it could have been a better film especially considering the immense talent in front of the camera. Overall, the film is far from being the average remake. It is well paced, has brilliant performances and keeps a steady handle on itself as a potboiler thriller with a hint of dark comedy. It is far from great but definitely worth watching.