It’s no secret that Against All Odds is a perfect example of an 80s remake. Similar to Scarface, it takes Out of the Past, a classic noir film, and gives it a slick, neon and polyester do over. I like the movie but it’s barely mentioned now. What transcended was the Phil Collins hit single, which supposedly helped the movie on the box office by a few millions.

Understandable, since Phil Collins was a hit making machine in the 80s, and the track, as mushy as it is, is perfect. The video, directed by Taylor Hackford (Devil’s Advocate, Ray, An Officer and A Gentleman), intercuts his own film with Phil Collins in a neon lit dark studio. It’s strangely timeless, even if its feels like a Trapper Keeper-friendly fever dream. My fave Phil Collins track too.

When Wicker Park was released in 2004, it didn’t make much of impact. Sure, we got Rose Byrne and the always reliable Matthew Lillard doing great work, but it wasn’t the hit MGM wanted. I blame it on the trailer, really, it did a poor job selling the flick. Oddly enough, it’s a remake too, in this case of a French hit called L’Appartament.

Oddly enough, I also liked Wicker Park, but L’Appartament is a much superior film. Especially with Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel doing their best.

Where Wicker Park truly shines is with its soundtrack. A veritable who’s who of 2004 pop royalty. Mogwai, Aqualung, Mazzy Star, Death Cab for Cutie, Broken Social Scene and many more. The soundtrack wasn’t enough to give the flick a push on the box office, though.

The Postal Service gives an indie-doomed (!) coat of painting to Against all odds. The mournful piano is now replaced by droning synth swells and Ben Gibbard’s distorted vocals. It’s a perfect recreation of Collins’ beautiful heartbreaking intro. The oddly syncopated drumming fits perfect with the urgency of the track, which goes for the right amount of kitchen sink drama stylings.

It’d be interesting to do a movie night with Out of the past, Against all odds, L’Appartament, and Wicker Park. I think I have an obsession with remakes, and how the same tale can be retold many times, sometimes reflecting the ups and downs of the decade it was made on. I know some films are timeless, others aren’t. And that’s all right.

-Sam J. Valdés López