Being an admirer of both Daphne Du Maurier and Matthew Rhys was enough to get me to watch "The Scapegoat" (2012). While nothing from either of these two artists is ever second-best, I was unprepared for just how much I enjoyed this film.
In a sort of dark twist on the "Prince and the Pauper" tale (a connection that is further emphasized by setting the story 1952 England ahead of Queen Elizabeth's coronation rather than France) "The Scapegoat" concerns two men, John Standing, a decent ex-teacher, and Johnny Spence, a dissolute businessman from a wealthy family (both played by Rhys), who, by a strange coincidence, are almost carbon-copies of each other. The happen to meet in London, and after a night of drinking, John finds that Johnny has swapped clothes and run off, leaving John to take his place among his dysfunctional family.
From the first twenty minutes or so, I expected "The Scapegoat" to be nothing more than a diverting manor-house fish-out-of-water romp. But further in, I was pleasantly surprised to find it instead a very moving, engrossing drama, with an inspiring message to boot. While it has its share of darkness, unlike most modern British dramas, it never got to the point of being oppressive. I also appreciated the comparatively light touch of director/screenwriter Charles Sturridge in regards to the film's language, violence, and sensuality, which have become so overused nowadays in British drama. It was nice to see story and character emphasized over shock value for once.
The entire cast is superb, but the true standout is Matthew Rhys, who, in the dual roles of John and Johnny, is nothing short of perfect. His mesmerizing stage presence and emotive yet subtle acting style draws you in from his very first scene and helps make even such an unlikely story seem possible. Rather than go into full Jekyll and Hyde mode, Rhys plays his doppelgängers with nuance, using the smallest of gestures, attitude, and inflection to differentiate the two; it really is a performance that has to be seen to be believed.
While I almost never say this about book-to-film adaptations, this 2012 version of "The Scapegoat" is, in my opinion, much better than Du Maurier's original novel, not to mention the 1959 film with Alec Guinness, which followed the book very closely. Without giving too much away, let me just say that the changes made to the plot give this film a much more fitting and satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy well-acted, entertaining period British drama, then don't hesitate to see this film!
In a sort of dark twist on the "Prince and the Pauper" tale (a connection that is further emphasized by setting the story 1952 England ahead of Queen Elizabeth's coronation rather than France) "The Scapegoat" concerns two men, John Standing, a decent ex-teacher, and Johnny Spence, a dissolute businessman from a wealthy family (both played by Rhys), who, by a strange coincidence, are almost carbon-copies of each other. The happen to meet in London, and after a night of drinking, John finds that Johnny has swapped clothes and run off, leaving John to take his place among his dysfunctional family.
From the first twenty minutes or so, I expected "The Scapegoat" to be nothing more than a diverting manor-house fish-out-of-water romp. But further in, I was pleasantly surprised to find it instead a very moving, engrossing drama, with an inspiring message to boot. While it has its share of darkness, unlike most modern British dramas, it never got to the point of being oppressive. I also appreciated the comparatively light touch of director/screenwriter Charles Sturridge in regards to the film's language, violence, and sensuality, which have become so overused nowadays in British drama. It was nice to see story and character emphasized over shock value for once.
The entire cast is superb, but the true standout is Matthew Rhys, who, in the dual roles of John and Johnny, is nothing short of perfect. His mesmerizing stage presence and emotive yet subtle acting style draws you in from his very first scene and helps make even such an unlikely story seem possible. Rather than go into full Jekyll and Hyde mode, Rhys plays his doppelgängers with nuance, using the smallest of gestures, attitude, and inflection to differentiate the two; it really is a performance that has to be seen to be believed.
While I almost never say this about book-to-film adaptations, this 2012 version of "The Scapegoat" is, in my opinion, much better than Du Maurier's original novel, not to mention the 1959 film with Alec Guinness, which followed the book very closely. Without giving too much away, let me just say that the changes made to the plot give this film a much more fitting and satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy well-acted, entertaining period British drama, then don't hesitate to see this film!