Cast: Sam Riley, Andrea Riseborough, John Hurt, Helen Mirren, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris
Rowan Joffe is the rising talent behind the screenplays for ‘Last Resort’, ‘28 Weeks Later’, and this year’s ‘The American’. This remake of John Boulting’s 1947 original stars Sam Riley as Pinkie, a cold-hearted Brighton gangster who is forced to court and marry a naïve young waitress, Rose, to prevent her from speaking out about a murder that he committed. The original, starring Richard Attenborough in one of his career-defining roles, is one of the few British films pre-1960 that is still spoken about and enjoyed by younger generations as a ‘cool’ and spellbinding film. The first question that arises when a remake appears is, “why remake it?” That question is even more pertinent when discussing an untouchable classic, and unfortunately Joffe doesn’t have the answers.
The original was a noirish classic, filled with shadows, sweeping camerawork, and chilling melodrama. Joffe has moved the action to the 1960s and gone to great lengths to use vintage lenses and equipment to ensure a timely feel and grain. Unfortunately, this jars horribly with the nourish tone and rapier dialogue, and makes for an uncomfortable and inconsistent viewing experience. Unlike the original, you do not feel as if you are watching a genre classic, this feels more like a desperately self-justifying experiment. There is no clear reason for this temporal shift, beyond a few ‘mods and rockers’ references. Almost by accident, the shift has interesting connotations for Rose, whose rebellious streak and belief in the power of love is in conflict with her traditional values and dogmatic religious upbringing.
Sam Riley’s performance is pure mimicry. This is not his fault, but there is only really one way to play Pinkie, and Richard Attenborough already did it. Andrea Riseborough, a relative newcomer, is excellent as the timid but passionate Rose. The rest of the cast are just playing out their allotted roles; except Sean Harris who bursts with his unique brand of playful malice.
There are certainly moments where the increased capabilities of filmmakers (crane and helicopter shots and HD film) add energy and power to the sulking dinginess of the original… but sulking dinginess is what ‘Brighton Rock’ is all about! All the important moments (the skipping recording of Pinkie’s voice, etc) are all lifted shot for shot from the original. Rowan Joffe is an extremely talented artist and one of the jewels in the crown of British cinema at present, but this film is pointless and uninspiring.
Rowan Joffe is the rising talent behind the screenplays for ‘Last Resort’, ‘28 Weeks Later’, and this year’s ‘The American’. This remake of John Boulting’s 1947 original stars Sam Riley as Pinkie, a cold-hearted Brighton gangster who is forced to court and marry a naïve young waitress, Rose, to prevent her from speaking out about a murder that he committed. The original, starring Richard Attenborough in one of his career-defining roles, is one of the few British films pre-1960 that is still spoken about and enjoyed by younger generations as a ‘cool’ and spellbinding film. The first question that arises when a remake appears is, “why remake it?” That question is even more pertinent when discussing an untouchable classic, and unfortunately Joffe doesn’t have the answers.
The original was a noirish classic, filled with shadows, sweeping camerawork, and chilling melodrama. Joffe has moved the action to the 1960s and gone to great lengths to use vintage lenses and equipment to ensure a timely feel and grain. Unfortunately, this jars horribly with the nourish tone and rapier dialogue, and makes for an uncomfortable and inconsistent viewing experience. Unlike the original, you do not feel as if you are watching a genre classic, this feels more like a desperately self-justifying experiment. There is no clear reason for this temporal shift, beyond a few ‘mods and rockers’ references. Almost by accident, the shift has interesting connotations for Rose, whose rebellious streak and belief in the power of love is in conflict with her traditional values and dogmatic religious upbringing.
Sam Riley’s performance is pure mimicry. This is not his fault, but there is only really one way to play Pinkie, and Richard Attenborough already did it. Andrea Riseborough, a relative newcomer, is excellent as the timid but passionate Rose. The rest of the cast are just playing out their allotted roles; except Sean Harris who bursts with his unique brand of playful malice.
There are certainly moments where the increased capabilities of filmmakers (crane and helicopter shots and HD film) add energy and power to the sulking dinginess of the original… but sulking dinginess is what ‘Brighton Rock’ is all about! All the important moments (the skipping recording of Pinkie’s voice, etc) are all lifted shot for shot from the original. Rowan Joffe is an extremely talented artist and one of the jewels in the crown of British cinema at present, but this film is pointless and uninspiring.
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