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Diabolique (1996)
Rate:
2
Viewed:
6/25
6/25:
Hollywood didn't get the memo that masterpieces never needed a remake.
That's the case for Les diaboliques. Whoever green-lit this idea is a
fucking idiot. At least, the public was smart by turning Diabolique into a box-office bomb, causing
Jeremiah Chechik to be a failed director. The Avengers two years later
would punctuate this...big time.
Chechik made the following prediction in 2011: "I think it [Diabolique] will be reevaluated, I
really do. When there are no issues, no baggage, the movie will be seen in the light that I made it. Probably
after I'm dead." Yeah, right...it'll never happen.
Sharon Stone is totally unbelievable and should have stopped herself early to understand that she's not in Simone
Signoret's league. What's with the silly color on her lips and the tight outfits? She gives the image of wanting
to be the school's number one vixen instead of a proper teacher. On the other hand, Isabelle Adjani looks like she
killed ten people without having to announce it.
Kathy Bates...what the hell is she doing in the film? Her character's motive in the last ten minutes makes
absolutely no sense. Chazz Palminteri is a fair replacement for Paul Meurisse but rushes through a couple of
important moments, especially in the tub. Oddly, after the tines of a rake got stuck on his head, he didn't bleed
while in the pool. The fakery of his death earlier on isn't believable because that's somebody who's actually dead.
Why Les diaboliques worked so well compared to the remake is it was
filmed in 1955, allowing everything to pass through without doubt. For example, using a wicker storage box
didn't seem strange, but in 1996, I'm sure people were thinking, "Hey, you got a dead body in there, huh?" The
pool thing is too absurd with the kid going, "Oh, yeah...I'm perfectly fine with the idea of jumping into the
dirty, cold water that's filled with bacteria and leaves," when a skimmer will do.
All in all, don't be fooled by the slick trailer of Diabolique; it's that awful.