Carrie

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
   Carrie
Released 10/18/13, now in theaters

What?  Yet another Hollywood remake?  And worse yet, another remake of Carrie?  Really?  There aren't any other good ideas in Tinseltown?  Remaking a movie that many consider a classic will automatically lend itself to the naysayers.  But, the naysayers sometimes have a point when you consider the horrid retelling of Psycho starring Vince Vaughn.  And, what about the less than stellar 2002 TV remake of Carrie?  Prospects weren't good for this one even with the nice, gory trailers.

So, when comparing Kimberly Peirce's version to Brian DePalma's 1976 version, I will say this remake fleshes out Carrie White's character more than the original.  She actually goes through a period of self discovery after learning she possesses the power of telekinesis.  Peirce allows the audience to feel the entire spectrum of emotion from fear, to exultation, to anger with Carrie as you watch the teenager's tribulation. 

As for the story itself, it's almost identical to the '70s version, but has a few asides to make it unique from the original.  For those not familiar, Carrie is based on a 1974 novel by Stephen King.  Carrie White (Chloe Grace Moretz) is a sheltered teenager who incurs the wrath of a vicious, privileged classmate, Chris Hargensen (Portia Doubleday), after she is punished for leading a group of girls in humiliating Carrie at school (and, later, the internet).  Carrie's home life is as grueling as her school life due to her Puritanical mother, Margaret (Julianne Moore).  The lonely girl discovers she has telekinesis which excites her, but makes her just as isolated as ever.  When another classmate, Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde), who was involved in Carrie's humiliation convinces her boyfriend to take Carrie to the prom as an apology for her involvement in the fiasco, Carrie is, at first, suspicious, but, later, acquiesces, much to the disappointment and displeasure of her mother.   Carrie's life appears to be on an upswing until she suffers the ultimate humiliation at the prom that will move her to unleash the full destructive capability of her new power. 

I did mention that there are differences between the new version and the original.  The current version begins with a birth sequence in which Carrie almost doesn't survive to become a tormented teenager.  Carrie also has more of a self-discovery of her power in the new version that provides a more detailed glimpse of how powerful she has become.  And, after the disaster at the prom, she looks positively like a creepy witch as she floats in the air covered in blood.  And, there's the shock ending.  There's no hand in this one, but the final sequence still involves a strange happening at a gravesite.  Neither ending makes much sense if you think about it.  They're there simply to create a final jump-scare, although I do think the original is creepier. 

Chloe Moretz once again proves why she is one the best young actresses in the business today.  To date, I don't think I've ever seen her give a bad performance.  The movie she's in may be bummer, but she never is.  And this role provides the opportunity for her to display a wide range of emotions. 
She's convincing as both a timid, shy mouse and as a raging, emotional instrument of death and destruction.  This isn't to say she was any better or worse than Sissy Spacek in the original.  Both have stamped their mark on the character in my opinion.

Many have said this remake is totally unnecessary and I agree.  It is unnecessary.  No one was beating a drum for another version of Carrie.  But despite that fact, I try to examine a movie on its own merits.  Just because it's a rehash doesn't mean it isn't good.  And, this updated version is good.  I believe it is better than the original in some ways.  There is a greater depiction of the character's incredible power.  Carrie specifically targets her tormentors rather than setting the entire gymnasium and everyone in it ablaze.  It tries to flesh out this lonely girl's character a little more much in the same way Rob Zombie fleshed out the character of Michael Myers in his remake of Halloween.  It's not any better or worse than the original.  It's just different.  There's room for both movies in your imagination if you leave yourself open to the possibility. 

More than fitting into the horror genre, Carrie is a kind of allegory on teen bullying and overparenting.  It's easy to see why the girl snaps.  Her mother's sheltering of her from life itself has made her a freak among her peers.  She's an easy target to the type of cruelty children in general and teenagers, in particular, can heap upon those they consider weak.  An even sadder affair is the love Carrie still has for her mother at the end after everything she has done and attempted to do to her daughter.  Unfortunately, Margaret is all this sad young woman has ever known.

Even Margaret's character is given a little more depth here than in the original version.  I can't say anything other than this woman is a total wreck of a human being.  She frequently cuts herself and frequently locks her daughter in a closet to repent for her "sins." She did go through a serious trauma in her daughter's conception which has contributed to the ultra-conservative lifestyle she forces on Carrie and herself.   She cares for her daughter but can't reconcile her desire to protect her from all sin and evil for Carrie's desire to live a normal life when she has the opportunity. 

Carrie also works as a great revenge motif.   Some may not go to the extremes she does to get even, but haven't we all wished someone who mistreated us would have his/her face smashed through a car windshield?  No?  Maybe it's just me.  So, nevermind.

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

*** 1/2 stars

 Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.