Straw Dogs (Remake)
Screen Gems / Battleplan Productions – 2011
Directed by Rod Lurie
- David Sumner – James Marsden
- Amy Sumner – Kate Bosworth
- Charlie – Alexander Skarsgård
- Tom Hedden - James Woods
- Jeremy Niles – Dominic Purcell
- Bic – Drew Powell
- Chris – Billy Lush
- Norman – Rhys Coiro
- John Burke – Laz Alonso
Story: An actress and her screenwriter husband return to her home town in Blackwater, Mississippi, where they intend to settle in and rebuild her father's house. The local carpenters they've hired to reroof her father's barn are her old high school buddies, including her ex-boyfriend, the one-time quarterback at the high school. He and his crew are immediately abrasive to Sumner (Marsden) and begin to push him by taking liberties with his home and his wife. They bully him into going hunting and desert him in the woods, and Charlie (the ex) and Norman return to the house to rape Amy (Kate Bosworth). In the end, Sumner must defend his home against their assault.
Review: While Lurie's vision lacks the visceral, terrifying aspects of the original, the film is true to its predecessor. The plot builds nicely to the dramatic end, and the characters are believable. Moving the film from rural England to rural Mississippi gives it a grittier feel, and while neither Marsden or Bosworth are at the same level of Hoffman or George, they give more than adequate performances. An excellent performance by James Woods as the WWII Veteran former football coach who mentored the four assailants creates the feeling of the racial tensions of the past. A less than adequate performance by Dominic Purcell makes you wonder who the casting agent was.
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