CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Prismark10 This version of Rebecca was meant to be Gothic and warped, instead it came out as lethargic and overlong with a disappointing first episode the moved at a snail's pace. Only Faye Dunaway's fruity acting as Mrs Van Hopper kept you awake.Charles Dance looks too old as Maxim de Winter, almost a cradle snatcher as he woos young, inexperienced and rather plain Emilia Fox and swiftly marries her, only months after the death of the first Mrs de Winter.When he brings his new bride to his mansion, Manderley, she is overburdened by the hovering spectre of his late wife who was beautiful and well liked especially by the demented housekeeper Mrs Danvers (Diana Rigg) who adored her.Max just sulks in the background as the new, young Mrs de Winter can do no right. However the truth about the first Mrs de Winter soon comes to light and Max has to reveal his dark secret.The second episode was much better than the first as we gets to the kernel of Daphne Du Maurier's story but then it is also Jonathan Cake's turn to ham it up.Dance and Fox have very little chemistry together and the whole thing looks a little too old fashioned even for 1997.

Jen This is a slow-moving, listless, overly romantic adaptation of a vivid, startling, suspenseful novel. It has a few good points but mostly just doesn't make sense. The pacing is off, there is romance squeezed into scenes where it has no business being there, and key segments of dialogue are either changed, missing, or inserted in all the wrong scenes. Not to mention those inexplicable moments where they just made it up altogether, taking nothing from the novel, and frankly adding nothing. Pacing-wise, for a stretch it will be agonizingly slow, lingering far too long over some unnecessary scene like the heroine wandering through Manderley or dancing with a guest at the ball while Maxim sulks in the background. Then, suddenly, it will jump to a crucial scene or piece of dialogue and proceed to rush through it, often while taking strenuous liberties. Why? Casting was a bit off, with Maxim appearing much older than he's supposed to be, blistered-looking skin and lips a distraction throughout. Unlike some, I did not mind that the lead actress was very pretty - in fact she matched my mental picture of the character almost exactly - but it was the actress's dullness which put me off. She shows so little emotion and just looks bored and spaced out through the whole thing. Furthermore, she doesn't for a moment come off as painfully shy, which is her character's defining trait. A word about the casting of Faye Dunaway as Mrs. Van Hopper. My goodness, but that woman can over-act. She struck such a discordant note, it's as if she'd wandered in from the set of some other movie - or stage production. The fact that her part was so small made the theatrics even worse.  There is more to critique, but overall the movie is all right as long as you are able to detach yourself from the book, and if you have a really long attention span. The music and costumes are lovely, so as a romantic period piece it succeeds, but not as a faithful adaptation of the novel.

hrp0001 Absolutely terrible, I read this novel when I was very young and although I didn't fully understand it, I was as haunted by Rebecca as everyone else in the novel was. When I found the Alfred Hitchcock version, I didn't agree at first with how harsh Maxim always seemed, but the movie really did the book justice, the setting and lighting. This movie however, was much to mushy and didn't follow the characters attitudes at all. Mrs. Van Hopper was portrayed all wrong, and Maxim wasn't handsome and debonair at all. Over all I'd say watch the Alfred Hitchcock version if you want beautiful settings and handsome actors that get to the core of the characters.

lathabonthala I read the book by Daphne Du Maurier, and after loving it so much, I decided to watch this latest adaptation. All I can say is that this is better than what I expected! It can captivate every possible type of viewer with its rich tapestry of ideas and emotions in the underlying plot. Charles Dance as Maxim de Winter surpasses all expectations one might have (and isn't too bad to look at either!). In this version, he portrays Max as more romantic (perhaps more so than other adaptations), something which adds a touch of realism and allows for a different perspective of his character. Emilia Fox as the second Mrs. de Winter is refreshing and plays her character with the perfect amount of insecurity over the haunting presence of Max's first wife, Rebecca. Fox also presents her character as nothing but loving and dedicated towards her much older husband, with passion and romance that helps justify many a scene in this version, presented very aesthetically and with realism. The romance and chemistry between the two lead actors is incredibly convincing and is also very appealing. Dame Diana Rigg as Mrs. Danvers is superb, as she almost shows Mrs. Danvers to be in love with Rebecca, but not in a socially acceptable manner for that era, as well as being a tragic, lost individual who is clearly struggling to let go. Remaining supporting cast of Faye Dunaway as the pleasantly extrovert Mrs. Van Hopper and Jonathan Cake as the wild living, slightly devilish cousin of Rebecca, Jack Favell, are perfectly suited to their respective characters. 'Rebecca' also highlights many social taboos and difficulties experienced by the upper classes of the late 1920's, something which is executed faultlessly in this adaptation, and is also something which helps you to justify why Maxim did what he did (you'll have to see this to understand what I mean!). All in all, it has everything that makes for compelling viewing: murder, social taboo, romance, tears... it is truly awesome!