Review of The Beguiled (2017) by Joshua M — 21 Jun 2018

I'm reviewing two things, the movie and the audience reviews. The movie is good and I'll get to that below, but I just want to say that the audience reviews are so poor that they almost make me as ashamed as the Trump administration. Why don't you guys go and watch another superhero movie, or maybe something that can keep your short attention spans occupied, like a youtube clip. Good f'ing lord. One reviewer doesn't understand why an Irishman would be in the Civil War and assumes this movie is about a different war with the Irish. Others whinge endlessly about the lighting and others cry about the pacing. If you haven't discovered yet that Sophia Coppola movies are very slow, then, guess what, I've got news for you... There's a reason that this movie got a Cannes award and American audiences don't like it. And it's not because our audiences have good taste. Additionally many reviewers called attention to the original and mentioned that it was such a fine film that there is no need for a remake. Well, I got through all the high points of that film and found that, yes, the house is the same and many plot points are the same, but it's total crap. Good lord, if you think that Colin Farrell is rough try getting through Clint's stupid little eye squints that express his anger, or the crap flashback scenes. Having the slave character or the additional scenes with the Confederate soldiers added little to nothing. So I dispute the idea that the remake was unneeded.

Now to the review. I really enjoyed this movie, but I don't think it hit Coppala's peak which would be found in 2010's "Somewhere." The cinematography is gorgeous and the lack of score accentuates some of the nature sounds and quiet nature of the movie. I thought the restrained score by Phoenix was very effective. With all Sofia Coppola movies there needs to be room to breathe and they tend to move slowly and this one is no different. I wouldn't focus so much on genre, but rather on how the movie does a great slow build in tension until the end. I'm not a huge fan of any of these particular actors, but as an ensemble they work together quite well, especially the younger girls who impress in smaller roles. Oona Laurence as Amy is fantastic.

The gist of the plot is there is a Irishman who comes to New York, Farrell, who signs up to fight for the Union in order to make some money. He's injured in VA near a nearly abandoned schoolhouse for girls which is ran by Martha Farnsworth, Kidman. Young Amy is picking mushrooms when she runs across Cpl McBarney, whom is injured in the woods, and she brings him back to the house to for treatment, being the merciful soul that she is. Once in the house the Corporal grows on each of the girls and Mrs. Farnsworth which leads escalating jealousies in trying to win the affection of the wounded soldier. Hijinks ensue, yada, yada, yada.

Farrell is great in being able to be lovable rouge and is able to feasibly exude the sort of sexiness and clever charm to win over each of the women/young women in their own way. He's not exactly an emotional powerhouse, but he is a great fit for this particular project. Kidman is great and the fact that there is a lid on the emotions of each of the characters and that it's even more restrained than it's predecessor is not a defect, but rather one of the strengths as it represents the social mores of that era.

People complain about character development or the fact that cartridges wouldn't be used in guns of that era. The character development is good in the sense that some of it is implied rather that explicit. If you watch closely it's more than easy to discover the nature of each of the girls. Elle Fanning as Carol is not nearly as overt a hussy as the Carol in the 1971 film and she's so much the better for that. She does show her cattiness and clever attempts at seduction is a more subtle way and the movie in itself is more subtle and subdued that the original and it's more beautiful as well.

People mentioned a bit about the feminism in this movie and if it's there, it's also not banging your head with it.

This a is a beautiful, slow movie with great subtle characterization that was well cast. I thought that it built to a great crescendo and the repressed sexuality bubbled under the surface only to emerge at the end with a lot of the action.