Wednesday, September 10, 2008

'Psycho' a la 1998

So where do I begin? Maybe with the fact that Viggo Mortensen and his behind can pretty much save any movie. And Anne Heche's retro-style fashion has inspired me greatly...

But let's get to the good stuff. In all honesty, I was/am hesitant to admit that I don't find the film to be that bad. I was actually the first person to say something good about it during last night's class, which was then followed by others admitting there were some not-so-bad aspects of the movie as well. You're welcome. Seriously though, what's wrong with liking a movie simply because it's entertaining? Excuse me while I rant, but I'm sick of people saying their favorite movies are Donnie Darko and Garden State because they think they're "artistic." Puh-lease. Now, don't get me wrong, I've seen my share of indie/artsy films, many of them I find incredibly well done, and others I don't. But assuming a movie is good because Wes Anderson directed it or bad because it's a sequel is simply absurd.

With that being said, the original Psycho is clearly superior to the remake. However, I've seen worse remakes in my time. I applaud Gus Van Sant for doing the film shot-by-shot and almost line-by-line, yet still finding ways to modernize it. Anne Heche was a mediocre Marion. She fit the part physically, and I appreciate her trying to update Marion's character. However, she dropped the ball far too often - especially in the parlor scene. The chemistry between she and Norman (Vince Vaughn) was practically non-existant. Vince Vaughn, in my opinion, failed in his role of Norman. But I can't say it was all his fault...I think it was more of a bad casting choice. He lacks the innocence, kindness, and handsome appeal found in Anthony Perkins. I had sympathy for Perkins, but barely any for Vaughn....especially after the masturbation scene. Ew. No comment.

Overall, 1998's Psycho was a less-than-perfect remake of the original film, but did anyone actually expect it to measure up? They couldn't have. Props to Van Sant for even attempting to remake one of the most classic films in history....

...and for casting Viggo Mortensen as Sam.

3 comments:

Remdizzle said...

haha you are awesome Gracie. you should just marry Viggo... and i think you are right people just look at the first movie and then just jump to conclusion about how the remake will never be as good as the original which is the mindset of people these days anyways.

Joy L. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joy L. said...

Ok, so this is probably a pointless comment but I wanted to second that I really liked Marion's (Heche)vintage style. Although I couldn't get over the parasol. Let's be honest, we all long for an occasion to use one but if I'd just committed a felony, I don't think I'd bust out an orange parasol. (sorry that I used your blog to vent this...)

Anyway, I agree that he style did more for the movie than her acting.