if you've seen both: can you possibly tell me how the remake compares? is it worth the time? it seems like it would be unrecognizable, trying to modernize the original, but is it good? i mean, it has meryl streep it cant be bad...... right?

maybe this is a long shot...

i have no clue, only saw the original. oddly a friend mentioned the remake yesterday and i was just thinking how i wanted to see it. but i can't see how it could compare to the original either so i'm not in a rush.

__________________
"How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself."

"I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by giving, by losing."

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-from the goddess that is Anaïs Nin

i saw the remake at the theatre when it came out and i found it rather enjoyable easily making the top 20 of that year but not quite the top 10.i couldnt tell you how it compares to the original for i have never seen the original is that such a bad thing?should i try and see the original?

I saw the remake first and then the original. I really enjoyed the remake and was apalled by the original. I thought it was so boring. Also and this is a SPOILER so if you haven't seen any stop now


I didn't like the fact that Raymond's mother was just the senator's wife and was somehow beneath him, even though she was kinda the villain, it all felt very sexist anti feminist bullshit. I really prefer the modern version where Raymond's mother IS the senator and she's all mighty and has power.

**spoilers**

i think that the fact that raymond's mother was the pupper master behind the dumb buffoon senator was where the satire lie. there was a dark humor to his out of control stupidity and unwillingness. she was the smart one, she pulled all the strings and she basically told him exactly what to do and when, like a child. and he acted much like a child. she was DEFINITELY the villian but she was 100% the brains behind it all and did all the business for this puppet. i felt that it was a comment on the intelligence level of those in government, and the presence of secret regimes behind the scenes. which i felt was a HUGE theme, the secret unseen powers controlling individual's minds, hired officials, even entire governments.


by the way, if anyone has seen the original..... that scene where marco meets 'rosie' on the train is so BIZARRE. i really like it though one of my favorite scenes, go figure. but its almost like she takes control of him and just informs him of all these things and leads him and he follows without any protest. same with the taxi scene. at first i thought maybe she was his communist contact or something... it was so odd. but she was pretty ballsy.



anyway, i do get the idea that the remake is much less on the satire, more thriller-like. i'll get around to seeing it.

is this your take on the theme of brainwashing?

please, indulge us.

I know exactly what you mean and I agree but I still don't really like it. I prefer the woman to be the upfront villain instead of the snarky behind the scenes weasel.