Hitchcock remake is a disturbingly awful film
Sara Carr
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Arts & Society
As a self-professed Hitchcock fanatic, I have seen the 1954 classic "Rear Window" quite a few times. In the film, a broken leg forces a famed photographer to remain housebound. To combat his boredom, he begins to spy on the lives of his neighbors through his rear window only to discover that one of the subjects of his observation appears to have murdered his wife. The film is the epitome of suspense thrillers with superb performances from Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. Needless to say, I was a bit miffed at the idea of a modern makeover of one my favorite classic films. However, I put aside my apprehensions when sitting down with my box of Reese's Pieces and awaited the opening credits with an objective mind. Unfortunately, "Disturbia" lived up to my meager expectations.
In this ill-fated remake, Jimmy Stewart is replaced by a young but accomplished Shia LaBeouf as Kale Brecht, a high school senior who, after attacking his Spanish teacher, is sentenced to house arrest. He brings spark to the otherwise overdone character motif of the angst-ridden teenager with a chip on his shoulder (which sounds like every other main character from a 90s sitcom). When his mother ("The Matrix" series vet, Carrie Ann Moss) takes away the joys of television, he resorts to spying on the lives of his neighbors. His slice of American suburban pie includes a bratty batch of preteens, a cheating husband, a creepy middle-aged man, and of course a blonde bimbo (Sarah Roemer) who just moved into the house next door. Where would a bad movie be without a dull-minded pretty girl who can't act? The live-action drama outside his window becomes serious when he suspects the aforementioned creepy middle-aged man, Mr. Turner (David Morse), is a serial killer.
The film has some moments of solid entertainment. The investigation scenes are sprinkled with bouts of comic relief in the form of Kale's jumpy friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo). But even the light in these rare bright spots begin to burn out as the film absentmindedly transitions into a cheap-thrill horror flick in the last third. This transition is filled with predictable plot turns at every corner along with gaping holes in the storyline.
In this ill-fated remake, Jimmy Stewart is replaced by a young but accomplished Shia LaBeouf as Kale Brecht, a high school senior who, after attacking his Spanish teacher, is sentenced to house arrest. He brings spark to the otherwise overdone character motif of the angst-ridden teenager with a chip on his shoulder (which sounds like every other main character from a 90s sitcom). When his mother ("The Matrix" series vet, Carrie Ann Moss) takes away the joys of television, he resorts to spying on the lives of his neighbors. His slice of American suburban pie includes a bratty batch of preteens, a cheating husband, a creepy middle-aged man, and of course a blonde bimbo (Sarah Roemer) who just moved into the house next door. Where would a bad movie be without a dull-minded pretty girl who can't act? The live-action drama outside his window becomes serious when he suspects the aforementioned creepy middle-aged man, Mr. Turner (David Morse), is a serial killer.
The film has some moments of solid entertainment. The investigation scenes are sprinkled with bouts of comic relief in the form of Kale's jumpy friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo). But even the light in these rare bright spots begin to burn out as the film absentmindedly transitions into a cheap-thrill horror flick in the last third. This transition is filled with predictable plot turns at every corner along with gaping holes in the storyline.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Russian Wives
posted 3/19/10 @ 10:10 AM EST
i find this website very useful but can you plz add a Q&A link that shows some of the common questions his eminenece has answered.
Post a Comment