When is a remake not a remake? When the star says so apparently. In this “adaptation” of the original book which aired as a two-part event on NBC earlier this year, Guy (Patrick J. Adams) and Rosemary (Zoe Saldana), after losing their first baby to a miscarriage, move to Paris in the hope a fresh start will help them move on and help him deal with Guy’s writers block. Through a series of events they come to meet Roman and Margaux Castevet, a wealthy couple who repay an act of kindness on Rosemary’s part by offering them an apartment in their building after a fire destroys their home. Soon they find themselves lavished with an opulent lifestyle while Guy’s academic career progresses quickly. Rosemary falls pregnant, which the Castevets take a keen interest in. The accumulation of mysterious events, evidence of a murdered previous tenant and warnings from religious figures alerts Rosemary to suspect her benefactors real motives may pose a danger to her unborn baby.
Relocating the tale to Paris rather than New York is a clever if underutilized idea. Placing Rosemary as an outsider unfamiliar with her surroundings helps to justify her more illogical, panicked behavior. Especially as she gradually loses her support structure. This is necessary as the portrayal is certainly of a more self-sufficient, modern woman than the more naive figure in the original adaptation. Her pro-activity, investigating the bizarre events surrounding her give the series more of a thriller vibe than outright horror. Rosemary is here portrayed as a confident, modern woman. Saldana does well in the role. Patrick J. Adams as Guy is a little less convincing but it is a role that no one in the audience is going to look upon favorably.
The longer running time makes his seduction somewhat more believable but that payoff is countered by having to endure more time with a pretty unlikeable character. Roman Castevet (Jason Isaacs) and his wife Margaux (Carole Bouquet) add a great dynamic to the cast, each actor turning in a strong performance. Their work layers down a more seductive vibe to the corruption of Guy. Christina Cole (Fringe) works well as the counterpoint to this as Rosemary’s best friend.
There is no way to avoid comparisons to the original which is a masterclass in tension and horror. The structural difference here essentially diffuses the film of any real buildup or suspense. It leisurely dips into paranoia, sprinkles ominous portents and expands the cast to allow more suspicious deaths to fill the extra space afforded. What we are left with is a plodding, frustrating affair deprived of any tension. Cheap shocks and lazy tactics are used to try and force Rosemary’s Baby into a shape resembling a horror film and ultimately they fall flat.
Some may say that visually the Polanski version has not aged too well, but in my opinion that has given it an inherent creepiness. Rosemary’s naivety, brilliantly portrayed by Mia Farrow, makes her downfall a foregone conclusion. The whole film is dripping with an inevitable doom. Nothing here gives you such a feeling. Instead it is more of an arduous slog to get through the bloated 170 minute running time. While technically Rosemary’s Baby is competently put together, such a tale called for a far more deft hand than what was brought here. Director Agnieszka Holland relies on more conventional tropes to build suspense and provoke the audience. The original imbued a subtle chill with the way shots were framed or characters behaved, here it is far more overt. Additionally the Parisian setting is not as embraced as it should be. A smattering of accents and shoehorned in shots of the Eiffel tower are the only ways this show really embraces its setting. And to compound matters, composer Antoni Lazarkiewicz delivers a clunky score playing off a lullaby theme.
THE PACKAGEAs is often the case with newer TV shows, the hi-def transfer is very well done. Visually, Rosemary’s Baby is occasionally as drab as the story unfolding but often the miniseries seems to have taken some stylistic tips from Hannibal (another NBC series) and is rather attractive. A gothic style that uses the Parisian backdrop to good effect. Colors are warm and well saturated, detail and contrast is sharp even in the often darker settings.
The disc includes the full 170 minute miniseries and an Ultraviolet digital copy. Special features are limited to two behind the scenes featurettes. Fear is Born: The Making of Rosemary’s Baby which shows the cast and crew assembled for the project as well as their thoughts on the approach to adapting the original novel and the differences to the Polanski original. Overall it comes across more like the cast and crew giving star and producer Zoe Saldana a pat on the back for getting this remake (which she claims is not a remake) off the ground. The second, Grand Guignol: Paris Production Design is on the short side but gives a nice insight into one of the more interesting aspects of the remake with its relocation to Paris.
THE BOTTOM LINEI am not totally averse to remakes but if it’s going to be done, bold decisions need to be taken to justify their existence. NBC’s Rosemary’s Baby falls into that middling category where it is not out and out awful, but does nothing to justify why it was made. It is not merely bad in comparison to the original, but as a standalone piece it just doesn’t build correctly, stumbling due to the miniseries format stretching out the story and defusing any sense of tension that could and should have been present. Some solid performances and a few interesting but largely unexplored changes do little to elevate this endeavor. It’s not bad, but it is entirely forgettable.
Rosemary’s Baby is available from August 19th on DVD and Blu-Ray. An Amazon link to purchase is below.
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