carlos-teran

10/10

Ira Levin's novel is one of my favourites, and Polanski's film happens to be almost a step-by-step adaptation (he was Oscar-nominated for it), with a marvellous cast. This adaptation directed by Agnieszka Holland (adapted from the film, not the novel itself) isn't half bad. She had at her disposal a great cast also: modelling legend Carole Bouquet (my favorite Bond Girl), the always charming Jason Isaacs (he's 100% fluent in Spanish and he shows us that he can also deliver his lines in French, nicely), the very likeable Patrick J. Adams (in his contractually-mandated Suits haircut) and the lovely Christina Cole (a little bit under-used in her role). However the whole 3 hours lie to rest on Zoe Saldaña's shoulders, who is also producing. Moving the plot to Paris was a good move, albeit a distracting one given the fact that most of the cast is American or British, with a few French extras tossed in the mix. There's nothing in modern-day NY that even resembles the feeling and mood of the 1967 film, so the new setting might be an understandable approach. The locations (very touristic shots of Champs-Élysées, Eiffel Tower, Sorbonne, Le Grand Véfour and The Catacombs) and settings are fresh (all the interior shots were done in London), and the photography feels moody and effective. The fact that Rosemary is now an accomplished ballet dancer that supported her husband through college instead of a naive high-school graduated Omaha housewife, was a nice touch, given the current times. However, the final product feels more at times like an slasher-splatter film, departing drastically from the implied elegance in Polanski's film. This mini-series suffers (in my opinion) from the added scenes (the police commissioner and Julie's scenes are tedious) and plots (so much unnecessary drama) needed to fill-in the allotted 3.2 hours, despite its nicely done editing, music, CGI and practical effects. The supporting characters are underdeveloped in most cases, and Rosemary's nightmares and pregnancy ailments take so much exposition time, that it becomes boring. A well-trimmed 2 hours version in film format might deliver (removing the explicit violence) a better experience, at least for me.