Quel Surprise

Rating: 6/10 (2 February 2008)

Remakes of successful foreign films seem to be a Hollywood passion. The simple reason is profit. So, that they turn out stuff that tends to be pale reflections of the originals is no surprise. Sadly, this too is a poor imitation of the original. However, the surprise is that it does have so much charm. Keeping the original screenwriter and having a talented cast surely helped.
Usually, I rail at the travesty done to originals and continue to do so, but I accept that many films which would receive scant exposure have a chance to reach the English only audiences through these remakes. Now, I tend to accept that the price of experiencing good film is having to sit through these remakes and then to seek out the originals.
If you like this film, you will adore the original. Some others such as "Nakita", "The Vanishing", "The Magnificent Seven", "Last Man Standing", and "A Fistful of Dollars" have overseas origins. If you make the effort to track down their progenitors, wonderful treats await you.
A cautionary note - It is always wiser to watch the remake first; then the original. That way you can avoid disappointment - the experience gets better each time. Also, when searching for the originals - the titles may be translated very loosely. IMDb is a great help in title searches and "Comments" will usually offer up the original title.