Open Window (2006)

Very well executed

the audience applauded

Such a frustrating disappointment

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This film I watched through just once. It tells the story of two young yuppies, who enter into life's vicissitudes, and how they begin to heal.Neither character seems entirely genuine and some are a tad over done, maybe boarding on unlikable.The essence is a young yuppie professional couple with far more money and privileges than most of us hit a snare when a random rapist, comes through Izzy's (Robin Turney) studio window and rapes her.It is never quite revealed why she refuses DNA testing and actually does not cooperate with the police in finding the rapist.Indeed, one could surmise, she has permitted the rapist yet another chance at rape of some other open windowed women. This makes thoughtful viewers wonder about her motives. Did she know the rapist? Was she simply a coward, feeling the rapist would make good on his threats and return to slay her if she told police the whole truth.Instead, she proceeds as a Princess would, and rejects all suggestions of how to heal. She later moves out on her distanced fiancé, Joel Edgarton.The meat of this drama is it attempts to be more profound than it actually is. It really is a brief window into the lives of a young couple, facing existential crisis.The end scene is strange and again shows the egotism of both. Neither can go on because neither wants to make any concessions to the other, to catalyze the healing process.The film actually isn't bad, just trivial.

I saw "Open Window" on Showtime and was so captivated by it that I had to see it again. It's really the first time I've seen a movie that shows that there is more than one victim when an act of violence happens to somebody else.The relationship between Peter and Izzy is real and honest. How can a couple really grasp when something this devastating happens to them? "Open Window" shows this relationship unfold in a way that I haven't seen before.Some would say that this film has too many scenes where there are two people talking, but it is so much more than that. The conversations between Peter and his father, Izzy and her therapist, etc. are the key to the films beauty. These small scenes let you into the characters so much.I found the directing, acting and writing so subtle and yet so powerful.Hopefully, word of mouth will give the film the recognition that it should have had a year ago when it was at Sundance.

I loved this movie. With a fine hand and an elegant restraint, Mia Goldman's inaugural feature is a beautifully crafted work. With a concise and well articulated story line, Ms. Goldman, who wrote and directed, has made an engaging movie that moved me in many unexpected ways. The story of a young couple, deeply in love, confronting an enormous challenge startled me. Disturbed me. Robin Tunney and Joel Edgerton play the romantic leads with elegance and passion. Their love affair drives the story and they do it well. TElliot Gould and Cybil Shepard, in unusually textured roles, perform beautifully. This smart, sophisticated Indie film is subtly driven. We're sucked into the emotional vortex almost from the beginning. Once there, it's an intense ride. It's not everybody's cup of tea. There are disturbing elements that I will not reveal. But if you hang in you will be deeply and profoundly rewarded. This is one of those sleeper films. A wonderfully rewarding debut.

This is a quiet, subtle movie that drives its point home without any bells and whistles but very effectively. I especially thought the scenes between Izzy and Peter were moving and well-acted. Even though the film deals with a tough subject, it never felt forced or shoved down my throat or overacted. The film has a very simple structure which allows the complexities of the issue and the emotions to expand and fill up the space. It's too bad this didn't get a theatrical release, although I could see why it was overlooked, because it is so quiet and subtle. That, I think, is its strength but of course a studio exec wants explosions. This movie does fine without them. Robin Tunney and Joel Edgerton's performances are wonderful.