Jul 052013
The Bedroom Window
- DVD Details: Actors: Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, Isabelle Huppert, Paul Shenar, Carl Lumbly
- Directors: Curtis Hanson
- Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC. Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1; Number of discs: 1; Studio: Lions Gate
- DVD Release Date: November 14, 2006; Run Time: 112 minutes
Architect Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg) takes pity on Sylvia Wentworth (Isabelle Huppert), the apparently put-upon wife of his brutish boss (Paul Shenar). Terry commences an affair with Sylvia and during a break between seductions, Sylvia hears a woman screaming from outside her bedroom window. She looks down to see a mysterious man strangling helpless victim Denise (Elizabeth McGovern). By the time Terry comes to the window, he can see only a crowd of spectators. The next day, Terry learns t
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Master trumped by apprentice.,
This will probably be the only movie starring Steve Guttenberg that I’ll give 5 stars to, so listen up. OK, that was a little harsh. Actually, Steve’s tolerable here. He plays a yuppie who commences an affair with his boss’s wife (Isabelle Huppert). While a yuppie probably isn’t out of his range, French beauty Isabelle Huppert IS . . . but then, in Hitch’s *Rear Window*, Grace Kelly was way out of Jimmy Stewart’s league. Guttenberg, over and beyond his short-lived bankability in the mid-80′s, was clearly a deliberate casting choice by director Curtis Hanson: he’s a perfect Everyday Shmo that we can “identify” with, like Stewart’s rubes used to be (before the country stopped being so corny). *The Bedroom Window* imitates Hitchcock in more ways than merely casting and the title. It “homages” the Master in the best way: by fashioning an exceedingly clever plot that compares favorably, in many cases MORE favorably, quite frankly, with Hitchock’s narrative contrivances. The plot strands get SO involved that it’s hardly worth trying to recount them; it’s easier to just recommend the movie. *The Bedroom Window* is nothing less than a formally perfect imitation of elements in Hitchcock’s best films. Even Guttenberg’s perky acting (“I wanna turn myself in!” he chirps on the phone to the cops after he’s on the run) is reminiscent of Cary Grant’s smirking aplomb in the face of Kafka-esque bad luck in *North By Northwest*. And Elizabeth McGovern’s disguise late in the movie recalls Kim Novak transforming physically for the sake of some guy’s lust in *Vertigo*. Having said all this, you might be asking, “Why not just watch Hitchcock?” It’s the perfect question for Gus Van Zant’s pointless, unimaginative, frame-for-frame re-make of *Psycho*. But Hanson brings rancid new things to this genre that Hitchcock tended to avoid, things like individual culpability, black serendipity, and the notion that Doing the Right Thing can backfire on you if you’re a compromised person . . . and who isn’t? These themes, straight out of novelist Patricia Highsmith’s work, provide chocolate for Hitchock’s peanut butter. What can I say — I like Reese’s.
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|Guttenberg Great,
This is indeed Steve Guttenberg’s best drama. Being a huge fan of Hitchcock’s works and other suspense movies like “Along Came a Spider” and “Body Double”, I found this movie pretty good. I personally think Steve is a decent actor, just limited in roles suited to him. This role was suited to him as was “Cocoon”. Purest may not be impressed by this movie, but those not so demanding should find this worth their while.
The story in a nutshell is Guttenberg is sleeping with the bosses wife so when she sees an attempted murder she can’t report it so Steve does instead. Since it is a man reporting they are more suspicious of him thinking either he’s a voyuer or worse yet perhaps the perpetrator. Things get tense as he tries to prove his innocence and the real culprit is aware of the bosses wife and him. Is this a ripoff of the Hitchcock movie. A little, but the update and slight story change make it interesting and different enough that I found it entertaining.
By the way don’t buy this DVD from a scalper for a ridiculous price. It is being redistributed in November 2006. I pre-ordered mine for $9.99.
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|Very watchable…even after a handul of viewings.,
This video is a part of my collection, and even though Steve Guttenberg is, as they say, no Jimmy Stewart, there is something about him that is very appealing. You will find this movie to have just the right amount of suspense (and romance) to keep you interested and there are a couple of great supporting actors: Paul Shenar in particular and Wallace Shawn who is a hoot as the defense attorney. Enjoy!
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