The book by Daphne Du Maurier is amazing and a favourite, a masterpiece of suspenseful atmosphere and psychological depth. There are three versions of 'Rebecca' prior to this latest one from 2020, the best known one justifiably being the Alfred Hitchcock directed film. While the 70s adaptation with Jeremy Brett is the best version as an adaptation, Hitchcock's is my personal favourite. Even with inevitable changes to suit the code, it is superbly made, acted (Judith Anderson is unforgettable) and directed, true in spirit to the book's atmosphere.
Unfortunately, this version is inferior in nearly all those aspects. It does have its good things, but of all the four versions of 'Rebecca' it is easily the worst for me. Being the only one to not work, the other three are excellent and more. Visually and stylistically, this 'Rebecca' is mostly very successful. When it comes to the substance however, this film adaptation and standalone wise is a failure. Actually don't think one needs to have seen any of the previous versions or read the book to see how badly flawed the film is, a friend of mine also saw it with no prior knowledge of the source material or previous adaptations and disliked it too, highlighting the lack of atmosphere, shallow characterisation, erratic pacing, messy final act and Armie Hammer as particular flaws.
'Rebecca' (2020) has good things. It does look gorgeous, though in my mind the film would have benefitted from a darker look either in a Gothic or noir-ish sense. The film is exquisitely photographed and the settings have beauty and vivid atmosphere, especially in Monte Carlo. Apart from the yellow suit, the costumes are nice and Manderlay is a beautiful and atmospheric house if not quite the character of its own kind that the previous three adaptations achieved. Clint Mansell's score has parts where it is ominous and stirs the emotions.
Didn't care for the performances on the whole, but Kristin Scott Thomas is very good indeed as Mrs Danvers and there is a formidable quality that makes her very memorable. Sam Reilly's Favell is deceptively friendly but suitably manipulative, though could have afforded to have been more caddish.
However, Lily James and Hammer didn't do it for me in their roles. Actually like James as an actress, ever since her charming 'Cinderella', but she lacks the plain mousiness that is needed for the 2nd Mrs De Winter and comes over as too neurotic in her more haunted moments. Hammer is also too young (especially considering that there is meant to be a big age difference, without it the story dynamic doesn't work) and too handsome, personality wise he is like a bland uncharismatic cipher as well as jerk-ish even when Maxim's character writing darkens. The lack of chemistry between the two really hurts the film and too lukewarm romantic comedy-like instead of the conflicted one it ought to be. The characters are stripped of their complexity and become one-dimensional, the most interesting is Mrs Danvers easily but that is down to Thomas mainly.
Furthermore, the script could have flowed more and is too mundane with no spark. Some of it was awkward too. The direction is too constrained and tends to be pedestrian in the first half and then out of control and too reliant on a horror vibe in the second. The story is completely lacking in suspense and the omnipresent spookiness just isn't there, with the psychology of the characters being too muted. Likewise with the more mysterious elements in the story. The pacing is a mess too, it takes too long to get going and is too deliberate in the first half and then the final act especially becomes very rushed and jumpy. This part of the film is also far too melodramatic, the tone shift is not just completely uneasy and jarring but the second half feels like a different film altogether and in a schlocky horror way, not in a suspensefully psychological way. The ending is very tacked on and did reek of studio interference or of the writers not being sure how to end the film.
In summary, liked the style but the substance underwhelms. Very disappointing. 4/10.
