Straw Dogs - quick review (1 Viewer)

[Patrick Sun]

Kate Bosworth plays a small town girl, where high school football ruled the day, who makes it "small" in Hollywood, but married a writer (James Marsden) and they come back to her small town to stay at her deceased father's place to do some writing and remodeling. To help with roofing a barn, they hire some former football stars who don't really have the best work ethic, and after a while the film turns into this what-if situation to "Friday Night Lights" where all the former high school football stars were truly dumb as bricks and acted like savages when opportunities present themselves. Alex Skarsgard is football jock who still has an attraction Bosworth's character (and she doesn't mind running around in the bare minimums of clothing, further stoking the fires of former flames.) James Woods is the retired football coach who thinks he's still running the football program, and he's got a daughter who has a weird attraction to the town's mentally challenged dude, and the coach is always trying to keep them apart. Not sure what to make of this movie, as motivationally speaking, it's almost preposterous as to where the film goes in its final act, but it does feature some decent death scenes. I give it 2 stars or a grade of C.

 

[Citizen87645]

You should check out the Peckinpah original for comparison. It sounds like the subplot with the daughter and the mentally challenged fellow has been changed more than other elements.


In the original she is simply nice to him and her father and brother keep shooing her off because of some violent act the guy did in the past. When she finally engages with him on an intimate level she is acting out because she's been spurned by the main character, on whom she has a crush. Her acting out leads to a Lenny "call him George" type accident.

 

[Michael Elliott]

VERY little has been changed in this remake. I thought the film was good but the biggest problem is that nothing major has been changed so if you're already familiar with the movie then you're pretty much sitting there knowing what's going to happen. I thought the performances were good (especially Woods) and it's technically well-made.

 

[Citizen87645]

Interesting article from IFC.com. Big spoilers though if you haven't seen either film.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Interesting article. MILD SPOILERS So, the actor of this remake says the first "rape" isn't really rape. Hmm...since when did a woman screaming, crying, pushing the guy away and repeatedly saying no not be rape? The writer of the article also says: While Amy doesn't fight back as much during the rape this time, her rapist is also much bigger. (Plus, he's Eric Northman!) The (Plus") is, I'm guessing, the writer saying it's better to be raped by someone like Eric Northman since women would find him good looking. Peckinpah himself might find that offensive.