Alien at the Movies

Three years into the Civil War, it's southern hospitality meets ''The Bachelor'' when the ladies of a Virginia finishing school take in a wounded Union soldier. As the injured corporal (Colin Farrell) recovers, these seven females isolated from the real world take an interest in & compete for the attention of this handsome & charming stranger. Sophia Coppola directs an all star cast including Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, & Elle Fanning in this remake of the 1971 Don Siegel/Clint Eastwood/Geraldine Page gothic film. However, this slow-paced film with hopes of bringing some new special female perspective fails to justify the need for a remake. No real chemistry develops between any of the characters. Farrell's accent is perplexing in this American story. These refined Christian females just seem too desperate for a man to be believable. By the film's end, audiences may feel like they will have suffered more than that poor corporal.

Alien gives it 1½ "blue rag tied to the gate" stars out of 4.