The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Synopsis: Yes, this is a remake of the classic 1919 silent film, but with a twist: Through the wizardry of digital hocus-pocus, the set design of the original has been captured and reproduced to provide a vintage backdrop for new actors, who performed in front of a green screen. So everything still has the revolutionary, crazy-quilt pattern of German Expressionism, with new costumes and make-up reflecting the 1919 style. The story and some of the dialogue is intact: this is still the strange tale of a carnival hypnotist named Caligari (played here by the convincing Daamen Krall), who controls the actions of a haunted sleepwalker, Cesare. No remake could match the delirious power of the original film, but this one falls short of even being an interesting curio. The technical trick is intriguing for the first few minutes, but the inadequacy of the actors (their flat line readings are especially jarring when played against the heavy stylization of the world around them) and the slow pace do their damage. One good casting note: Cesare, played so memorably by Conrad Veidt in the original, is played here by Doug Jones, the remarkable actor-mime whose work is central to many of Guillermo del Toro's films (including Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy). Jones hits the Expressionist note, without saying a word.   Source: Amazon.com