MovieChat Forums > Secret in Their Eyes (2015) Discussion > Why, why, why???!!!

Why, why, why???!!!

posted 9 years ago by cquesada-668-419329
32 replies | jump to latest

I'm sorry Hollywood, do you feel compelled to remake (quite badly, if I may add) a fantastic, Academy Award foreign film because you thought no one would care to read subtitles? How lazy have you become? I don't care how many Nicole Kidmans and Julia Roberts you can afford in your payroll, but this movie should have never, ever been made. I love the Argentinean film for its wit and amazing mystery build up... yours is just a poorly made xerox copy.

You also have the audacity to remake another German gem (Das Experiment) under the pretension that Standford University students playing guards and prisoners would never even imagined how out of control the experiment would turn. Here's a spoiler, it's mayhem and the good guys win.

Every remake you shove up to our throats is a loss of my faith in your ability to entertain, as well as lost revenue. It may not mean much to you, but I wish you luck writing the losses off your books.

Ugh... disgusting.

[–] Fiery_101 9 years ago

Honestly, I hate it too. But there have been a few remakes (and some might disagree here) that ended up being pretty faithful good films. I'd include things like Let Me In, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Ring, and The Departed in this category. However, for every miracle that isn't complete garbage, you end up with crap like Oldboy, My Sassy Girl, The Wicker Man, Death at a Funeral, etc.

But what really pisses me off the most about this particular film, is that where others attempt to at least do a pretty faithful adaptation, this one has completely dumbed itself down by changing who the victim is and creating a very generic vigilante cop character (that the trailer for some reason actually focuses on.) Honestly that ruins the film almost singlehandedly, simply on *premise.* I can't envision a scenario where it does any type of justice to the original or doesn't seem like generic garbage.

There are ghosts in Winterfell. And I am one of them.

[–] cquesada-668-419329 9 years ago

I couldn't agree more with you. You listed a few films that you correctly put in the category of faithful/successful remakes. There is an element that all kept from the original films, which was the motivation of the characters to act one way or another. There were a few creative license moments that the writers adapted and translated well into the final film. I like that.

But I completely agree with you that changing the relationship of the characters (to make it an adaptation, remake, whatever Hollywood wants to call it), completely changes that essence that made The Secret in Their Eyes so wonderful. The whole idea is that this prosecutor spends a good chunk of his life chasing the killer because he was touched very deeply by the murder, and as a consequence, he realizes he is missing a very important element in his own life. That's a very powerful concept; he has no relationship whatsoever with the victim prior to the murder, a complete stranger. But quite frankly this is no different than most thrillers out there (inevitably it made me think of Lifetime television, even with the A+++ cast).

Very good thoughts, thank you for chipping in!

[–] katnmowse 9 years ago

So you've seen the remake?

[–] goldenfighter786 9 years ago

Don't forget the Hunger Games franchise, it is one of the worst remakes to date. It copied a very good Japanese film called Batlle Royal

[–] lmv92 9 years ago

Uh, no, it did not. I'm guessing you're one of three cases: 1. you've never watched Battle Royale; 2. you've never watched The Hunger Games; 3. You haven't watched either.

[–] goldenfighter786 9 years ago

I said it copied Battle Royale 1, not 2. Fair enough though I gave up on Hunger Games after watching the 2nd one, plus I haven't watched the 2nd Battle Royale as I've heard it is crap. Hunger Games still copied those movies though

[–] lmv92 9 years ago

It really didn't. The story isn't even remotely similar. Battle Royale is about what happens inside the arena, Hunger Games is about a revolution. I wasn't talking about BR2... I didn't even know there was one.

[–] goldenfighter786 9 years ago

Battle Royale 2 is about a revolution

[–] lmv92 9 years ago

Again, I have not watched BR2... so I'm not gonna argue what it's about. It seems a bit weird that someone would rip off such a low esteemed title. I could understand the motivation behind ripping off the first, successful, movie... but that didn't happen.

[–] Xsplizzle 9 years ago

The story isnt remotely similar? let shave an overview, a bunch of kids put in an arena where they kill each other to have one winner, put in there by some dystopian futuristic goverment, the kids fight back against this system and eventually a guy and a girl escape in the end

yeah its not similar... its identical.
battle royale is vastly superior also

[–] lmv92 9 years ago

That's Battle Royale, that's not The Hunger Games. You can't say they are similar by only looking at one of them. smh

[–] Dr.Lecter 9 years ago

I can agree with all you wrote but... Let me in better than the original?!?!? Oh my God

[–] JameGumbisSilent 9 years ago

Money, Money, Money!!! Did you really have to ask why?

The trailer does suck though, makes me wonder if this was actually the same movie I saw at the screening, which I liked. But I have nothing to compare it to, and neither will 99% of the audience it was made for.

all work and no play make jack a dull boy.

[–] The_Real_Bathsheba 9 years ago

Seeing as to The Stanford Prison Expierment happened in America, what is so wrong about Hollywood making a movie about it?

[–] felipe-andreazzi 9 years ago

And is the second time Hollywood is trying to remake a great Argentinian film. First try was 171 staring John C. Reilly, remake of the amazing Nueve Reinas (1999, Nine Queens), also staring the very talented Ricardo Darin who was the lead in Secret of Their Eyes.
From wine to coca-cola.

[–] ACusterDecision 9 years ago

Estas equivocado,che. They also made a terrible remake of the very good Argentine film " Hombre Mirando al Sudeste" (English title : Man Facing Southeast) with the usually talented Kevin Spacey called "K-PAX". I hope this remake makes the original look even better.

[–] trayoder 9 years ago

Have you read the source material? I have seen the original movie and absolutely love it but I have not read the book so I can't say which movie is the more faithful adaptation. Regardless I like the fact that the american version is not an exact duplicate of the original. I personally hate it when remakes try so hard to be exact remakes of the original, gives you no reason to watch it.

"Shoe's back where it belongs, Mr. Briggs."

[–] trayoder 9 years ago

[–] plasmic_steve 9 years ago

Most Americans don't speak Spanish. That's the reason.

P.S. I love the original and own it. I don't mind subtitles but I'm in the minority.

[–] mothygamer 9 years ago

This is in response to cquesada-668-419329's statement that implies the German film Das Experiment (2001) predates Zimbardo's actual experiment at Stanford University (1971).

I would also note I found Das Experiment to be a poorly told story and an unejoyable viewing experience.

Having written that, I very much enjoyed El secreto de sus ojos (2009) and could not imagine another attempt to handle the story to be an improvement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_prison_experiment