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.
thank you
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