MOVIE REVIEW

ROSEMARY'S BABY (2014)

Director: Agnieszka Holland
Writers: Scott Abbott, Ira Levin, James Wong
Stars: Zoe Saldana, Patrick J. Adams, Carole Bouquet
Runtime: 170 mins (2 parts)
Strength: Acting, story
Weakness: Not a big improvement on the original
Showbiz Rating: 3.5/5
Plot: Modern two part mini-series adaptation of the classic novel by Ira Levin focusing on young Rosemary Woodhouse's suspicions that her neighbors may belong to a Satanic cult who are hell bent on getting one thing: the baby she is carrying.
Review: It's been nearly two generations since Roman Polanski's “Rosemary's Baby” creeped-out moviegoers, making a redo more than logical. But, when you remake a classic, the goal should be to blow your audience away, and not just improve a little bit. Having previously lost a baby to a miscarriage, Rosemary — relocated to Paris with her husband — is understandably desperate to have this latest try go right. Yet the couple are almost comically willing to allow their helpful new friends to insinuate themselves into every part of their lives, from gifting them a weird cat to supplying a strange pendant to providing the green slop Rosemary is urged to drink throughout her pregnancy. Paris was a great choice, urbane and dark, however the apartment building was nowhere near as creepy as The Dakota. The acting was believable with a good looking cast and at first held a lot of promise. Zoe Saldana carried the films (both parts) well. Instead of eccentric senior folks, they are replaced by well dressed, well connected and attractive AARP members. For traditional horror movie lovers, this won't be a great movie, but for those who loved the original, it won't be a complete waste of time.

Reviewed by Mohammad Haque

***

ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968)

Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Ira Levin, Roman Polanski
Stars: Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon
Runtime: 136 mins
Strength: Acting, story, script, sound and musical score
Weakness: Slow plot development
Showbiz Rating: 4.5/5
Plot: A young couple move into a new apartment, only to be surrounded by peculiar neighbors and occurrences. When the wife becomes mysteriously pregnant, paranoia over the safety of her unborn child begins controlling her life.
Review: Rosemary, in Mia Farrow's performance, is so immediately recognizable that everything that happens to her, happens to the audience. Her explanation to Dr. Hill (Charles Grodin) about the absurdity she's at the center of, is so brilliantly written that she becomes more than just one of us, she becomes us in all the depth of our unspoken fears. To see this film in 2014 is really amazing. Polanski is not one of those directors who concocts camera tricks to feed his own ego. Everything is at the service of the story. John Cassavettes is a scarily convincing weakling with an ambition bigger than his talent. Ruth Gordon got, what I, in my modest opinion, consider one of the most deserving Oscars in the history of the Oscars. Her performance is beyond superb. This is a must watch for movie lovers, especially for those with an affliction for the occult.

Reviewed by Zakir Mushtaque

***

KOYELAANCHAL

Director: Ashu Trikha
Writers: Vishal Vijay Kumar, Sanjay Masoom
Stars: Vinod Khanna, Roopali Krishnarao, Sunil Shetty
Runtime: 142 min
Strength: Cinematography  
Weakness: Poor story, scattered plot, sound effects
Showbiz Rating: 1.5/5
Plot: Koyelaanchal is packaged as a saga of the coal mafia of Dhanbad, Jharkhand, but is actually just another tale of how an honest government officer takes on a crime lord.
Review: Saryu Bhan Singh (Vinod Khanna) is the godfather of Rajapur. He is the face of the coal mafia. From poor to rich, cops and political leaders to killers, everyone worships him. No one dares to raise their voice against his atrocities, except IAS officer Nisheeth Kumar (Suniel Shetty). But Saryu's henchman Karua (Vipinno) kidnaps the officer's child, giving rise to more random killings. Koyelaanchal lacks a well-developed story. From coal mafia to collector's baby to Karua's change of heart to Maoist movements, you keep wondering what the film is all about! The action scenes are poorly executed and the sound effects are terrible. Though having a strong presence, both Vinod Khanna and Sunil Shetty are awfully wasted. Vipinno gets the maximum footage and he fails to deliver. Not one of the worthy productions of the year at all!

Reviewed by Broti Rahman