
When reviewing a remake, a viewer could consider watching or rewatching the original film so as to easily understand the differences and similarities between two (or more) films in their rightful contexts. But I did not go back to Christian Tafdrup’s brutal Speak No Evil before choosing to view James Watkins’s English-language adaptation. One, the former which I watched and wrote about before it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival was only shot two years ago. And in fact, Blumhouse which has now done this remake acquired the rights to the Dutch original less than a year after its release. But in essence, the major reason why I did not go back to the earlier film is as a matter of fact that it is the kind of film that is hard to recollect.
It explores in its own way, most brutally, the pitfalls of politeness while raising uncomfortable questions about the passivity of the audience when faced with potential threats. Tafdrup’s film is not meant for many, it certainly is not for the weak-hearted but boy is it brutal and to the point.
It also has the kind of conclusion that some audience members might not appreciate especially if they are going to the theaters for entertainment purposes. One can easily imagine American producers of the movie looking at the film’s sad ending and opting to tell the story in a more straightforward and mainstream fashion. Is it that ineffective? Surprisingly no. But what is the price of this retelling?
I would request to maintain civility.
Lefler, left, Davis, and McNairy in a scene of the motion picture called ‘Speak No Evil’.
Louise (Mackenzie Davis), Ben (Scoot McNairy) and their emotionally underdeveloped daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler) are Americans residing abroad and portray an ordinary family. They later on; while in Italy, meet Paddy (James McAvoy) who is an overly friendly small-town physician on holiday with his beautiful wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son who doesn’t speak, Ant (Dan Hough). Impressed by the hospitality of a foreigner in the territory of a foreign country, Louise and Ben decide to go to a remote farmhouse with a paddle.
However, as time passes and Louise is constantly distracted by numerous inappropriate comments and actions that could potentially endanger the guests, the situation takes a more negative turn during what started as a pleasant vacation. This is not lost on Ben who appreciates his wife’s sensibilities, but he is very reluctant to rock the boat over minor issues. But as the days go by and Ant grows closer to Agnes, it becomes obvious that these pious hosts are not what they make themselves out to be.
In still from the movie ‘Speak No Evil’ featuring James McAvoy.
What I feel about the ‘Speak No Evil’ and the central performance by James McAvoy, are two things that logically never go apart. Here, to stay true to the character’s motivations, the actor easily and eagerly embraces the darker sides of his character. In moments when he has to be genuinely charming, he is indeed charming. And when the movie requires revealing his evil side, he is definitely capable of invoking heavy terror on screen.
However, given that we saw Fedja van Huêt give a slightly meek performance while playing the other side in the 2022 film, you quite consider how this portrayal lacks any sort of subtlety. If you approach it without any particular assumptions or judgments, one of the more interesting aspects of the original film is the ambiguity of who he really is and whether the concerns of our protagonists are indeed as outlandish as they sound or whether there is something more to the narrative. But when it comes to McAvoy, this is not the case. He plays an evil dude, and you are not surprised in the least when you find out about his evil plans. He has been able to create a funny and quite charming mischief but that over-the-top dulcetness makes him quite predictable as an evil character. There is no depth to this character so it is just an easy perspective to have.
Much can be said of it being a hassle, but it is not an awful portrayal.
This holds the audience throughout the movie and serves the shivering anticipation of the movie well. But it is not a matter of the if, but rather a matter of the when, and that is also what builds up to its own climax. It surely does the job while at the entrainment and does not tussle with you later like van Huêt’s rather complex character interpretation and oversimplifies the matter.
Aisling Franciosi performing in the movie “Speak No Evil.”
Up to this point, I’ve been rather semi-evasive as to what actually goes down in the climaxes of the two movies. But at this stage, I hope to be much more frank so to speak at this point. So be warned of spoilers.
The twist does not necessarily lie there for the original Speak No Evil, the plot lies there. Our unfortunate main characters trying to save their daughter, Agnes, ‘Morten Burian (Liva Forsberg)’ and his wife, ‘Louise Sidsel Siem Koch’, are obliterated beyond recognition, and die knowing that their daughter, Agnes Forsberg, will lose her tongue and be forcibly made into a surrogate for her killer which any right-thinking man cannot comprehend. That is not the sort of conclusion that anyone would wish to see (save for sadists) but it is the one that fits the moral being conveyed.
That’s not what the new Speak No Evil … which is in any case more stylized as ‘SPEAK NO EVIL,’ goes out to. More ‘gun’ and ‘blazing’ than ‘DUTCH’ or the Dutch Picture that presumably inspired it, Watkins takes no prisoners in the retelling. The bad men get punished and people who were irredeemably good come out of the story alive and untainted. Even though there is not a single frame of Speak No Evil set in the States, it is probably the most Americanized version of the material, quite frankly.
This here is not the same as the 2008 remake of Funny Games. This does not try to go over the same narrative arc. At a time when Parasite walks away with best picture or Anatomy of a Fall, Drive My Car, or All Quiet on Western Front can go far and broad with audience and awards, one would have guessed that the reluctance of Western audiences towards subtitles is, if slowly, gradually waning. Hell, it is worth mentioning that most of the original Speak No Evil language was in English in the first place and quite a good chunk of it was not dubbed.
In that sense, it has to be a deliberate decision on the filmmakers’ side when they try to correct what failed so many times before and attempt to do it a second time within such a short period of time. However, when everything is said and done, what thanks is given to this?
The key point.
From the perspective of making English-language film adaptations, the new Speak No Evil is among the furthest from the top. However, having watched several boring and senseless reproductions that drain their offshore versions of any meat and energy, it is good to watch one that still has some meat in it. Thanks to Watkins for hefting this film while remaining more than within bounds. McAvoy’s having fun although he overacts to the point where it clashes completely with the original’s bone-shuddering dread. However, all that said, I can easily say that I will not be remembering Speak No Evil Anytime soon. As for the remake of the movie, I have to say I watched it two or three days back and it may as well be an entirely new movie for me.
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