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Sunday, October 20, 2013

CARRIE REVIEW


About The Movie:

The 2013 Carrie remake once again follows the titular Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz) a shy and awkward teenage girl who is routinely bullied and ostracized by classmates. Sheltered by her overbearing, and extremely religious, mother Margaret (Julianne Moore), Carrie longs for the “normal life” of the other kids at Thomas Ewen Consolidated High School.

But Carrie isn’t normal, and after discovering that she possesses telekinetic powers, she begins to develop a new-found confidence that causes tension between her and a popular clique of girls led by Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday) and Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde). Rebelling against her mother’s control, and extreme Christian beliefs, Carrie decides to attend the school prom with cool kid Tommy Ross (Ansel Elgort), setting the stage for a memorable night of dancing and violent revenge.

What Is Good/Bad About The Movie:

It’s fair to say that Carrie is a true remake, not an extensive reimagining that seeks to be more faithful to Stephen King’s version of fictional events. Still, director Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry) manages to present a worthwhile, retelling of the Carrie White story – strengthened by modern visual effects and a great performance from Chloë Grace Moretz.

Peirce’s iteration once again skips some of the more complicated (and convenient) elements of the novel material, in favor of telling a straightforward narrative about a girl that is constantly oppressed and ridiculed – until she discovers the (malevolent) power to fight back. Beyond updating the setting for contemporary moviegoers with YouTube and video phones, Peirce along with screenwriters Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa as well as Lawrence D. Cohen attempt to inject fresh subtext into the mix.
Moretz is a solid Carrie, balancing reverence to the role while also injecting subtleties that make her version of the horror movie icon distinct (and slightly more intimidating). Moretz effortlessly sells all three sides of the Carrie character – transition in and out of a terrified victim, cautiously empowered young woman, and iconic (not to mention blood-soaked) killer. Certain viewers will prefer one version over another, but Moretz delivers in several key moments – successfully capturing the genuine hopefulness and raw terror that make the fundamental Carrie story so powerful.
Peirce also digs a bit deeper into the relationship between Carrie and her mother Margaret, played by Moore, which strengthens the film. Unsurprisingly, Moore embraces the character wholeheartedly with a capable and disturbing performance that pairs well with Moretz (and the larger character story).

Filmgoers who are not interested in seeing a modern remake of Carrie are equally unlikely to be won-over by Peirce’s effort – since it tells (mostly) the same story without dramatically improving anything but the onscreen visuals. Nevertheless, for viewers who are open to the remake, the assembled cast and crew manage to accomplish their goal of updating the still timely Carrie storyline with a more intense (and gory) retelling of events for the contemporary movie market. While it might not have been necessary, the Carrie remake is still an adept, entertaining, and at times downright haunting, piece of filmmaking.

Overall Grade: B+

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