THE STEPFORD WIVES on DVD
by Andre Soares
I’ve finally watched the (relatively) new The Stepford Wives on DVD. Since I’ve never seen the 1975 original directed by Bryan Forbes, and starring Katharine Ross and Paula Prentiss, I can’t make any comparisons. Judged on its own merits (or lack thereof), the 2004 film version has a few interesting performances - especially a frighteningly over-the-top Glenn Close - and the appropriate hyperreal look (courtesy of cinematographer Rob Hahn and production designer Jackson De Govia), but on the downside most of the humor falls flat (Paul Rudnick adapted Ira Levin’s novel), David Arnold’s score feels even more artificial than Close’s Perfect Psycho Wife, Jay Rabinowitz’s editing is erratic - the film has absolutely no suspense - and Frank Oz’s direction is frequently off-key. The climax, which should have been either hilarious or scary - or both - is a stodgy mess. The biggest disappointment, however, was Matthew Broderick, one of the best film actors of the last 20 years, delivering what may well be the most ineffectual performance of his career.
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