REVIEW: THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

3/5

Girl On A Ledge. 

100 Mins. Starring: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Fred Hechinger, Anthony Mackie, Wyatt Russell, Brian Tyree Henry, Tracy Letts, Jennifer Jason Leigh & Julianne Moore. Director: Joe Wright. 

20th Century Fox. Hearing the trumpets blare and seeing the iconic monument of the movie logo come into overhead play for their latest movie in conjunction with streaming service Netflix is such a refreshing relief. Corona has crippled cinema and locked down has left us with more laptop home movie subscriptions than there are companies fighting for film rights and our coin. It's been so long since we've heard those horns (last year '20th Century' released just three films ('The Call Of The Wild', 'The Empty Man' and the X-Men horror, 'The New Mutants'), next up is Ryan Reynolds' 'Free Guy' whenever that comes out), as we have stayed so safe at home we almost feel like Amy Adams' agoraphobic character in the novel adaptation of 'The Woman In The Window'. 'Gone Girl', 'The Girl On The Train', Hitchcock's 'Rear Window'. This one cribs them all and in meta moments doesn't hide that in any shape or form. Shamelessly. Even binge watching them on TV. But what else are you going to do when your stuck home alone for longer than Macaulay Culkin? He even called it a day after two. You see, things have started to feel like they have been repeating themselves for awhile now. So much so it feels like a century since we last saw that Fox sign. And it may as well have been. Because through the focus of a James Stewart camera the rear end of this adaptation has seen more development hell than trying to clean windows in the rain. And refelecting the tap dripping like bullets, this stylized film abusing substance as a result sometimes feels like Chinese water torture. Drip. Drip. Drip. Although apartment to apartment this is the perfect way to film movies now at a social distance. Even if said movies stray close to rip-offs. The late, great legend Christopher Reeve's 1998 'Rear Window' TV movie remake did it better. That was super man. This could use a phone booth. Even if on the surface Amy Adams' psychologist turned paranoid nosy neighbour's life looks perfect. Calling her everyday on the phone and sweetly calling her slugger she's married to Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and another one lives in her basement (US Agent, Wyatt Russell). But if you think this cat lady is losing the plot, you should (or maybe even shouldn't) watch this movie. 

'Arrival', 'American Hustle', 'The Fighter'. Even 'Big Eyes', 'Vice' and 'Her'. Amy Adams has had quite the run on her way to chasing Sandra status (that's Bullock. Still not, "the lady off 'Bird Box'). Lately she hasn't gone off the boil, but maybe her choices need to be reheated. Tom Ford's 'Nocturnal Animals' needed her hallmark hard work. It was fashionable, but deeply unsettling. And we couldn't think of a more perfect Lois Lane for the new DC generation. Yet we all know all the problems the Snyder Verse of 'Man Of Steel', 'Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice' and 'Justice League' had with critics. But thanks to the Snyder Cut released a few months back on HBO Max, I now love this dark big-three of the superhero world and Adams' maverick reporter has always been the crutch, catalyst and ace in the hole. She's the big gun they bring out who can really floor the man who is faster than a speeding bullet. It's Adams' Netflix deal that is a little concerning. Or the streamers new range of motion pictures in general (aside from the perfect curtain call last fall of 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' as Denzel Washington and Viola Davis playing for August Wilson again rally should have left the late, great Chadwick Boseman with an Academy Award in the ignoring Oscar's last chance to give it to him...with all due respect to Anthony Hopkins). I haven't seen Ron Howard's 'Hillbilly Elegy' that have both Glenn Close an Oscar and Razzie nomination, but I hear it wasn't happy days like Jonie and Chachi. This window too can be a pain. It's Adams through the looking glass who spies us a reason to stay engaged. Compelling nuances and every emotion in acclaimed aggravation. But the film itself just doesn't wash like soap and water. Especially the finally rain soaked slow-motion rooftop act that John Woo would be proud of. Playing somewhere between 'John Wick' and 'Saw' (imagine being trapped in a scenario were both movies meet...with a pencil), when it should of acted like something like 'The Fugitive' on that third act run. These type of movies were built off suspense, not sensationalised set-pieces. I still feel a shudder down my spine when I think of the lights-out, match-struck, game is up reveal from the 1998 'Rear Window', were Reeve was found to be a peeping Tom by a blonde bombshell with a look of daggers. Here, sadly everything is kind of phoned in. I'm not trying to bring the knives out like a cable knit. Watch Amy in the Gillian Flynn ('Gone Girl') adapted 'Sharp Objects' instead. 

Wasted opportunities and world class casts deserve better. Churchill in his 'Darkest Hour' Oscar winner and everybody's favourite commissioner until Jeffrey Wright gets his turn at Gordon, Gary Oldman's hair seems to have turned white overnight with trying to shout his way through doing his best with pulp dialogue that makes his abusive father look like a stock 'Leon' or 'Air Force One' villain. Whilst his son played by Netflix 'News Of The World' scene-stealer Fred Hechinger is versatile. The twenty something going between a Billy the Kid type in Hanks' western with Greengrass to an anxiety riddled teen with a conditon here. Although his role left me making those hand gestures Ross did in 'Friends' when he became Chandler and Joey's roommate. Don't swear at me with two fists. Your new cap, Anthony Mackie appears mostly on the phone like Bradley Cooper's uncredited, pop out for popcorn and you'll miss it cameo in '10 Cloverfield Lane' (whose trilogy conclusion also turned into a galaxy colossal cluster f-bomb on Netflix), but what a voice (both of them). And his shield substitute and 'The Falcon and The Winter Soldier' star Wyatt Russell can go from zero to anger level 60 in a tenth of a second. You've seen him with a frisbee when he throws his toys out the pram. But what a talent. 'Still Alice' Oscar winner and general great Julianne Moore moves us to feel more, but she's barely in this movie it feels like she isn't even there. A wasted 'Hateful Eight' in cahoots Jennifer Jason Leigh doesn't get to fare much better either. So it's up to 'Atlanta', 'Godzilla vs Kong', 'Joker', 'Eternals' and soul of the animated 'Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse', Brian Tyree Henry's sensitive, scene-stealing cop to clean everything up. Paper Boi doing paper work, hot on Adams' case like his classic kingpin was putting the clamps on Viola Davis' 'Widows' for Steve McQueen, the last, great action-thriller you saw at the movies. 'August: Osage County' Pulitzer playwright and screenwriter Tracy Letts ('Last Bird', 'The Post', 'Ford vs Ferrari') moonlights as a shrink in this movie as well as adapting the screenplay from pseudonymous author A.J. Finn's bestseller from drug store to bookshop. But he nor 'Atonement' and Oldman reuniting 'Darkest Hour' director Joe Wright can atone for this poor performance. Its no one's fault here. It's just the sum of all the mismatched parts adds to something that feels more like a fabrication that has actually caused controversy in the real named author, Dan Mallory's real life than the mystery we hoped to see unfold on-screen. Next time you want to play detective maybe it's time you strapped on a moustache and boarded Agatha Christie's 'Orient Express'. For when it comes to this 'Woman In The Window', you may want to close the curtain. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Gone Girl', 'The Girl On The Train', 'Rear Window'.