THE BEGUILED (2017) *** ½

Sofia Coppola wrote and directed this beautiful and haunting remake of Don Siegel’s 1971 classic.  It’s a case where the remake works just as well, if not better than the original film.  That probably owes more to the strong source material than anything, but Coppola does a marvelous job on all fronts.  

Colin Farrell is in the Clint Eastwood role as a wounded Union soldier who is nursed back to health by the headmistress (Nicole Kidman) at an all-girl school in Confederate territory.  Confined to his bed, Farrell makes eyes with just about any girl he can while his leg heals.  Naturally, he makes time with one of the girls, which makes Kirsten Dunst jealous, so she throws his ass down the stairs.  With his leg busted up even more, Kidman has no choice but to chop that baby off, which turns Farrell into a goddamn madman.

Coppola is gentler in her approach than Siegel.  She tackles the material from the female perspective, which changes the impact slightly.  When Kidman amputates Farrell’s leg, it’s out of necessity rather than spite.  While it lacks the gut-punch feeling of Siegel’s film, it nevertheless works on an emotional level.  The way Coppola slowly builds Farrell’s relationship with the women is expertly done.  I liked seeing how the usually plain ladies started doing their hair and wearing their best brooches in an unconscious effort to impress their captive.  Coppola also does a wonderful job at creating a slow burn atmosphere within the house.  Once things catch fire, the tension truly smolders.

This also happens to be the best remake Farrell’s starred in recently.  It’s much better than the crummy Total Recall, the unnecessary Fright Night, and the unwanted Miami Vice remakes.  Heck, I even liked it more than S.W.A.T.