Rosemary's Baby

If you change a film locations,gender,ethnicity & some of the story format.. You have something new? Not really.

It wasn't horrible but,feel some casting changes would of helped.

Cinematography was average & rather unfortunate,being as mentioned of its film location.

Would I watch it,again? Nope!

Out of respect for Ira Levin's novel and Roman Polanski's film, my wife and I watched this two-part miniseries. On the positive side, I actually liked the Paris setting. (The 1967 novel and '68 film version were set in Manhattan). Because of its medieval history, Paris does seem like it would be more accessible for demonic activity. After that, forget it. We know Polanski is alleged to have been a pedophile, but he certainly knew how to plumb the dark corners of human endeavors in his films and his version of this story is far superior. And then there's the casting. Zoe Saldana is a very good actress - but she's no Mia Farrow. Farrow's frail, waif-like appearance perfectly suited a woman with a satanic pregnancy. And why was it necessary to cast an African-American actress? The director seems to be self-consciously reminding viewers that since Obama is president, the protagonist needs to have her race changed. The actor playing Guy, Rosemary's husband, is dull and vapid. However, Carole Bouquet, playing next door neighbor Margaux, is wonderful - sexy and seductive. Final word: Skip this version. Read the novel and watch the original film.

It was genuine interest that spiked me to sit down to watch this 2014 TV mini-series of the 1968 classic movie. And now that I have seen this TV mini-series I can honestly say that if you have seen the classic movie and enjoyed that, then you probably am not going to be enjoying this 2014 re-invention too much.

Sure, the Paris setting was a nice touch, given the architecture and the catacombs in Paris, but there was a little bit too much political correctness in this TV mini-series (not saying that political correctness is a bad thing here). Why change the lead role to an African-American when it was a Caucasian in the original movie? Story-wise, then this 2014 re-make is the exact same as the original, just with extra fillings to make it span over a longer running time. Was that really necessary? No, not really.

As for the cast, well people were doing great jobs. But the real talents and stars of the TV mini-series were Carole Bouquet (playing Margaux) and Jason Isaacs (playing Roman).

The 2014 TV mini-series is a great introduction for a new audience unfamiliar with the 1968 classic movie. But for us who watched the original, loved and enjoyed it, then the 2014 version is a pale and hollow experience that the world really didn't need.

The running time of the TV mini-series caused the experience to be stretched to the limit, because there was too much unnecessary materials throughout the course, and the show was starting to halt and lose interest at certain points.

A mediocre 5 out of 10 stars for this 2014 re-make version.

Derivative; Antiseptic; Atmospheric for the sake of tourist/holiday atmosphere (Paris; exotic reference; stock evil; blocked writer making his bones at prestigious institution of learning... .) Yes, the cat is black. This re-imagining of the original rests evidently upon the presumption that there is something to be gained by introducing characters who have no clear connection with the narrative, in addition to larding the product with scenes of gratuitous incoherency and gore. At one level or another, dream-sequence passages of leaps from windows, ad nauseum, detract essentially from the inner core of cinematic verity: We know we are heading down. Otherwise, see the Original. Polanski. Weird. Brilliant. Horrific.

Roman Polanski's 1968 original is my all-time favorite horror movie; to surpass this director is an impossible task;but ,curiosity,I can't help it.

Agniezka Holland is Pole ,like her prestigious colleague and she's made interesting works; she can't begin to touch his genius ,but,against all odds ,her miniseries is not as bad as I expected .

Perhaps Holland had in mind a diptych, for the credits claim :based on Ira Levin's novelS "Rosemary's baby " and "son of Rosemary"; it's a blessing she did not carry on with the second book ,for it was as mediocre as the first one was absorbing .

Polanski was faithful to the story but he transcended it with his peerless directing ; Holland's screenplay has undergone lot of changes :first the action takes place in Paris ,where the non-French can visit the Sorbonne and the Catacombes -you can visit this gruesome place, but the guide won't tell you the far-fetched explanations one hears in the movie.

Exit Hutch (replaced by a friend Julie ,and a priest who briefly appears ),Dr Shand , Laura -Louise McBurney ; Terry (replaced by a pregnant woman who jumps out of her window and whose husband reappears later); the Castevet are younger :Roman is a handsome man in his fifties and his wife is no longer old mischievous Minnie (it was probably impossible to match oscar-winning Ruth Gordon) ,but an attractive chic Margaux ; Dr Hill is replaced by Dr Bernard , who has at his disposal a much more modern technology than his American colleague, but in the end ,plays the same role as in the novel. Shady Dr Sapirstein is one of the rare characters whose part is the same as in Ira Levin's book .And ,yes ,Guy is not the actor chasing after any sort of work :he's a professor longing to become a successful writer.

The miniseries is inevitably too long and sometimes drags on ; the new technology (Dr Bernard)could have opened up new horizons for the screenplay ,but it is not fully exploited ; Zoe Saldana is an OK Rosemary but her husband 's playing leaves a lot to be desired : Patrick J.Adams is bland , harmless and not efficient at all : nothing of the great John Cassavetes 'ambiguity .Both Jason Isaacs and French Carole Bouquet are convincing ;the latter is perhaps the best of the lot ,exuding a scent of a poisoned flower .

When Holland tries to imitate her predecessor (the nightmare, the final scene) it's stating the obvious to write she does not rise to the occasion ; adding gore , horrible scenes and a colossal mistake in the final scenes do not help .

The 1968 movie was a masterpiece ;the miniseries is just OK, watchable if you are curious.