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Sabrina

Sabrina

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: More than just a romantic comedy...
Review: This remake of the 1954 Sabrina starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart adds its own wonderful twist on a classic. Harrison Ford is Linus Larrabee, the eldest son of the Larrabee family who took over the reigns for his father and turned the multi-million dollar family business into some "serious cash." Greg Kinnear makes his onscreen debut and makes the younger brother, David, into a lovable hopeless lover. Sabrina, played by the incandescent Julia Ormond, admires David from afar, and is the daughter of the family's chaffeur. After a trip to Paris turns Sabrina into a stunning beauty, David finds it hard to keep his attentions on his lovely fíance, Elizabeth Tyson (Lauren Holly). Linus proceeds to court Sabrina for what seems to be "business purposes", but is he really hinding his feelings for the beautiful Sabrina? Nancy Marchand plays as Maude Larrabee, David's and Linus's mother, and has some real gems for lines, adding to the devilishly clever sarcasm that makes this movie absolutely hilarious. Definitely one of the best movies I know of.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I would say it grows on you, but in fact, it matures...
Review: When I learned they were remaking the original "Sabrina," I couldn't fathom any reputable actor would even attempt to fill Bogart's shoes. Yet Harrison Ford was a more than suitable choice. Julia Ormond, however, lacked the confidence Hepburn portrayed, making for a Sabrina not nearly as charming as the original.

Several years after seeing the remake in the theatre, I watched it again some Sunday afternoon, and was surprised by the affect it had. When not compared to the sassy, comical, melodramatic romance of the first movie, this new version - considered on its own merit - is a pensive, mature romance that takes its time considering small details, as Ormond emerges as Ford's humble equal, rather than being duped by infatuation.

I watch it about every other year now, and as I grow older, I only enjoy more this movie's careful attentiveness to detail and the lack of emotional manipulation characteristic of Hollywood romances.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I absolutely adore this movie.
Review: Julia Ormond is so beautiful and so perfect for this role. She is sweet without being annoyingly so. Harrison Ford is awesome as the uptight Linus Larrabee. Greg Kinnear is perfect as the good-natured, but unable to commit David. Nancy Marchand is funny in her role as the matriach of the Larrabee family. This whole cast just blends perfectly to make a funny, touching film.

I much prefer this one to the original. It's sassier, smarter, and just more fun. I highly recommend this movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 2 Thumbs Up and 2 Big Toes Up for the "Sabrina" remake
Review: The original Sabrina is a good movie and Audrey Hepburn is one of my fave actresses. I mean who doesn't like Audrey?

But I actually preferred this remake because Sabrina is just a much more emotionally stronger character then in the original and I think Julia Ormand was just as good as Audrey and as much as I like Humphrey Bogart I actually preferred Harrison Ford as Linus and I think he and Julia Ormand had a lot more chemistry then Humphrey and Audrey and as much as I like William Holden I actually prefer Greg Kinear as David because he played him in more of a charming boyish energetic way and you could see why Sabrina had a huge crush on Davd while William Holden's David was snooty and pretentious and that accent he used for David was annoying and I just couldn't see what Audrey Hepburn's Sabrina saw in him!

The original Sabrina movie is cute but there are some of us who actually prefer this delightful remake better and though I would like to own both on DVD if I was told I could only own one I woukd chose this remake!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Beautifully done! My preferred version.
Review: Elegant soirees, fashion shoots, strolls about Paris, romance, witty dialogue - this movie has it all. An amazingly strong cast graces this light-hearted romantic comedy that also has a wonderful soundtrack. The music truly adds another sweeping dimension to the film. Julia Ormond is stunning yet sweet as Sabrina, and her transformation from the dowdy, lovelorn adolescent to glamorous sophisticate was very well done. Her quiet, smooth voice opens the movie and flows over tranquil scenes of the luxurious Larrabee estate, Harrison Ford is the stoic Linus Larrabee the cold, sharp businessman ("the world's only living heart-donor") who learns to love under the gentle guidance of a mature and wise Sabrina. Greg Kinnear is an extremely likable David, the younger son. Nancy Marchand is a hoot as Maude, the matriarch, who dons some rather elaborate evening gowns! John Wood is a most distinguished chauffeur, and audiences will respect him more than the original. Even Mac, the loyal, ever so efficient secretary, has some great one-liners.

The original made me squirm with Hepburn's portrayal of an embarrassingly immature, unbalanced Sabrina. The remake stresses her psychological maturing ("I found myself in Paris") in addition to the physical makeover. More importantly, Bogart and Hepburn didn't give me the same thrill that Ford and Ormond do. I think they really enjoyed making this movie together - their shared smiles and laughter on Martha's Vineyard and in the Moroccan restaurant seemed genuine. It's more than good acting. I know several will disagree with me, but even those who prefer the original have to admit that the scenes in Paris, beautifully shot on location, are a vast improvement to the old version. This movie is one of my favorites, and I'm glad others see the merit in this remake and aren't dismissing it as readily as the critics did.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: comfortable contemporary feel
Review: i have owned both versions of Sabrina for a few years. i find myself rewatching the remake over and over again. i adore audrey hepburn (having watched every movie she was in) but I feel that the 1954 version is a little dated and in need of a re-make. if you had to remake a movie, why not Sabrina. this re-make is a visual delight, with scenery and settings so apt for the occasion. throughout this movie, i never for one moment wondered what it would be like if audrey hepburn had played the part in this one. julia ormond's performance was seductive and credible. she was perfectly cast for the part. I agree with the reviewer who said that julia ormond should be the actress for "The Audrey Hepburn Story" which I would not recommend anyone to see, not Jennifer Love Hewitt. I checked out other Julia Ormond films, investing in the purchase of Smilla's Sense of Snow, and have always found that a rewatch of Ormond's Sabrina was a better use of time than watching her other films. I have always wondered why Julia Ormond made so few films and so little is known of her. I would have liked to see more of her in films where an audrey hepburn calibre actress was called for. incidentally, audrey was hepburn's film name. Audrey was originally Edda (refer to special features in My Fair Lady).

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: There is one BIG problem with this remake.
Review: The original Sabrina was a classic, with three of the greatest stars of all time -- Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden -- being directed by Billy Wilder, one of the greatest directors of all time. To be sure, the producers of this remake did their best to duplicate the magic of the first film. It's directed by the great Sydney Pollack and stars Harrison Ford, Greg Kinnear, Nancy Marchand, John Wood, Richard Crenna, Angie Dickinson and Lauren Holly. In one way, the film is better for the casting of Harrison Ford in place of Humphrey Bogart. Ford probably wasn't much younger than Bogart was when he made his version. But Bogart seemed older than the 54 he was when the original was made. Ford, in contrast, seems much more youthful ( even with Linus Larabee's stuffy persona) and more of a natural match for Sabrina.

However, all of these quality elements are negated by the casting of Julia Ormond as Sabrina Fairchild. To be sure, Ormond is a beautiful woman. However, she has the charisma of a pile of wet toilet paper. She has absolutely none of the allure of her predecessor in the role and comes off very, very badly because of it. I know it's unfair to compare most actresses with the irreplaceable Audrey Hepburn, but this, after all, is the role she created, so she is being held to a higher standard. I knew there was a problem with the movie when I found myself more attracted to Lauren Holly as Greg Kinnear's jilted fiancee than Julia Ormond as the lead. Because of this bad casting, the film just falls flat and pales in comparison to the original. Too bad.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Remake that is Just as Charming as the Original!
Review: I saw this remake of the original Sabrina movie that starred Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart and William Holden and I liked it. I saw it when it first came out in the movie theaters and I thought it was a very charming movie and Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford and Greg Kinnear were all very good. I have since seen this movie again a few times and I still like it and I think since I hadn't yet seen the original movie yet when I watched this remake in the movie theater that I was able to enjoy it without comparing it to the original and now that I have seen the older movie and really liked it I still like the remake and I'm looking forward to buying both movies on DVD! Btw: I have seen movie remakes that were horrible but this was an exception and in my personal opinion was not horrible at all and I think Julia Ormond was terrific as Sabrina and so was Audrey Hepburn in the original and I recommend both movies!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: 2 Thumbs Down for the "Sabrina" remake
Review: This is only my second online movie review--I felt quite compelled to speak out upon seeing a cable broadcast of this film. First off, let me say that I LOVE Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond, and really like Greg Kinnear. I really, *really* wish I could like this movie, but I find it so incredibly pointless ande lame as a remake! That is, if you've seen the original version with Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden. No question--it's a noble effort, but I'm sorry--there is simply NO COMPARISON as to how superior this story is interpreted in the original. Why try to re-make perfection?

I'm very bummed out seeing these three excellent actors trying to recreate--or, re-realize--what is so classically timeless and charming and something that so belongs to three other actors that can never be matched! Julia Ormond is so beautiful in her own right, and she won my eternal admiration as a contemporary screen icon for her performance in "Smilla's Sense of Snow," but she cannot--and should not try to--compare with Hepburn. Ditto for Ford in his recreation of the Bogart role. I say, let all three of these contemporary actors become/remain screen icons in their own right/time, but there is no way they can compete with the screen icons of that other time via this movie. Furthermore, Audrey could not replace Julia in "Smilla," nor could Bogie replace Harrison in the numerous roles Ford has made classic and memorable. The updated scenarios/references in this remake are, for the most part, trivial and empty. Please, go buy/rent the original 1954 version of this film. It is simply NOT TO BE MISSED! There is a magic in it that you just won't find in this re-make, and I'm sorry (for these actors) to have to say it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worth Watching!
Review: We own and enjoy both the 1954 original and this remake. I have to tell you in many ways we like this film better--the original cast had the powerhouses--Bogart and Hepburn. But this film has more talent when considering both the leading and supporting roles. Julia Ormand makes a delicious transformation from latent teen to vivacious young woman. Nancy Marchand is the perfect matriarch, and Dana Ivey delivers wonderfully as the dry-humored secretary for Linus. You won't regret buying this one.


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