While not a completely brilliant remake (of Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), this is a solid enough paranoia thriller with solid production quality and a first rate cast.

Writing: There have been a number of Body Snatchers remakes made over the years. Some have been more successful than others, but most of them have done an adequate job of the central story. This one works with the sleep element better than most previous incarnations. I particularly like this aspect to the story, with the characters fighting to not go to sleep, when the alien influence takes over during REM sleep.

Production: Nothing to complain about here. Director Oliver Hirschbiegel keeps a steady hand on the production, lending it a sense of style and austerity. Hirschbiegel previously directed the WWII masterpiece Downfall. This is his first big Hollywood production, and he pulls it off with a convincing level of talent. The cinematography has a nice, nervous feel without becoming overly distracting. Sound design is subtle and well done. Visual effects are also well done, with style but not overly flashy.

Cast: This is definitely the strongest thing the film has going for it. Nicole Kidman does a great job with the lead role, which comes as no surprise. She’s one of my favorite actresses, and it’s cool to see her do a film like this, which almost seems a little bit out of her normal genre choices. Then there’s Mr. James Bond himself, Daniel Craig. Like Kidman, Craig brings a level of performance to the role one wouldn’t typically expect for the genre. Surely, these two signed on to the film to work with Hirschbiegel (I would assume - though perhaps the cast was attached previous to the director). Supporting performances are also quite good. Jackson Bond does a good job with the kid role, amusingly named Oliver. Jeremy Northam does a nice job as the somewhat slimy antagonist. Jeffrey Wright lends some credibility to what would be the most problematic role in the film - that of the overly convenient scientific/medical expert on the invading lifeforms. Smaller roles are populated with talented actors like Veronica Cartwright and Josef Sommer.

Music: Producer Joel Silver seems to be turning to composer John Ottman as regular composer these days. I’m not complaining, as I consider Ottman to be one of the more talented composers working today. His score for this film is more interested in mood than it is in thematic or dramatic flourish. It’s definitely a good score, with some excellent moments. It’s no best score contender, but it certainly gets the job done.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 7th, 2007 at 3:54 am and is filed under Movie Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.