Best movie of this year hands down!

Good concept, poorly executed.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This two-part TV adaptation of the famous Daphne Du Maurier benefits hugely from a pitch-perfect piece of central casting: Charles Dance as the mysterious Maxim de Winter and Emilia Fox as his new wife. Dance is all suaveness mixed with a little sensitivity, while Fox is mousey and subdued, and the two actors share a genuine chemistry at all times.Given the nature of the three hour running time, the pacing of this is slow and unhurried. I wasn't bothered: there are enough interesting supporting characters (the friendly gardener, the mad fisherman, the caddish acquaintance) to keep the attention hooked, and the sumptuous locations make this a delight to look at.The nature of the mystery kept me guessing right until the end, and it helped that I hadn't read the novel or seen any of the other adaptations (including the famous Hitchcock film). It also goes without saying that Diana Rigg makes for a masterful villain as Mrs Danvers, putting memories of her pin-up days long in the past. She's truly hissable, and it's testament to the quality of the storytelling that by the end you can only empathise with rather than hate her character.

I wanted so much to like this version of "Rebecca." I had seen both the Hitchcock movie and the 1979 Jeremy Brett/Joanna David/Anna Massey version, and read the book countless times. A new version with another talented cast seemed like a great idea.Unfortunately it didn't work. Charles Dance is nobody's idea of Maxim de Winter. He doesn't look like the description in the book, nor does he sound right in the part -- "de Whiner," maybe. He's totally ineffectual in the role. Ms. Fox -- the daughter of Joanna David, repeating her mom's role -- is not bad but not too good either. And poor Diana Rigg! I had thought she would make a wonderful Mrs. Danvers. To my shock, she was terrible. Someone please tell her that "bad hair" does not automatically equate with menacing!The casting is bad enough, but what in heaven's name possessed the writers to go tampering with the plot? Du Maurier's plotting was masterful. Apparently someone wanted to put his own individual stamp on this version, and in the process changed a couple of key parts of the plot. And we can't even blame the Hayes Code! The Hayes Code of the 1930s and 1940s said "good guys" couldn't deliberately do bad things, so the Hitchcock version's key plot change was a concession to Industry Standard. This 1997 version has no excuse. Possible spoilers: Someone deliberately, gratuitously, changed the method of Rebecca's death. Why? And why give Maxim some sudden inexplicable desire to rescue Mrs. Danvers from the chaos she created? Did the writers not read the book first? Or did they decide that the book, which had been a classic and a commercially viable success for almost 60 years, needed improvement?VERDICT: If you haven't read "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier, this may seem like a serviceable, if not very thrilling, story. It probably won't drive you into the bookstore either, though. (The 1979 version sent people scurrying in droves to the bookstores.) If you HAVE read du Maurier's wonderful book, you probably already know that the version truest to her story (the one du Maurier herself called truest to her story) was the 1979 version. Run, don't walk, to find it. Unfortunately that will take some doing, since the BBC in its infinite wisdom has given us the 1997 version on DVD while refusing to make the far superior 1979 version available. The last time the Brits made such a bad choice, the American colonies revolted. Maybe we should do it again and not watch anymore Brit TV until they give us a proper version of "Rebecca."

I recently viewed both the 1979 version (got a copy recorded off TV broadcast from somebody in Canada!) and the 1997 one, as well as reviewed the book. I have of course seen the '42 Olivier version as well.My verdict on this version ('97) is that everyone is wonderful except Charles Dance. Totally inappropriate casting. He's all freckled and spotty and not the slightest bit attractive.That being said, I have no idea why all the film versions skip (at least as far as I have noticed) the -- to my mind-- crucial scene in the book when the narrator finally tells Mrs. Danvers that she doesn't much care what the former Mrs. DeWinter would have done because SHE is Mrs. DeWinter now. This is after the "You should be the one who's dead" in Rebecca's room/shipwreck/Maxim's confession scenes.It may be that one version includes this, but I don't recall seeing it...Anyway, Charles Dance?! Cannot BEGIN to compare to Jeremy Brett's portrayal. He was simply superb. I am so sorry this version is not available (except as I obtained it) on DVD.

This TV version of Rebecca is directed by Jim O'Brian, is based on the novel by Daphne Du Maurier and stars Charles Dance, Emilia Fox, Diana Rigg, Jonathan Cake and Faye Dunaway.Monte Carlo 1927,shy, young British girl(Emilia Fox)is travelling as companion to the eccentric wealthy Mrs.Van Hopper(Faye Dunaway).In Monte Carlo they meet lonely and mysterious widower Maxim De Winter(Charles Dance)who is on holiday after the death of his wife Rebecca.Maxim befriends and falls in love with the young woman and marries her.After arriving back in Britain she meets his staff and family at Manderlay.After a few weeks she realises there are strange goings on at the house.The creepy housekeeper Mrs.Danvers(Diana Rigg)was Rebecca's maid for years and loved her as well and has become obsessed with her.She tries to convince the new Mrs De Winter that she is worthless compared to her dead mistress.What follows is a dark tale of love,possession,desire and the danger of prying into hidden family secrets.Sticking closely to Daphne Du Maurier's novel you really feel the love that Maxim has for his new wife(who's never named by the way).And there's strong similarities in this to Jane Eyre.Charles is superb as Maxim and he and Emilia have good chemistry.There's fine support from Jonathan Cake as the suave Jack Favell,Rebecca's cousin, Geraldine James as Maxim's haughty sister Beatrice and Timothy West as a doctor who has a secret to tell about Rebecca.Moving,gripping and filled with gorgeous costumes and beautiful location work, this is perfect to watch on a rainy day.