By: Shane J Alliew,
Running at 100 minutes, director Joe Wright’s film is the story about an agoraphobic woman Dr. Anna Fox (Amy Adams) living alone in New York who begins spying on her new neighbors, only to witness a murder.
An estranged child psychologist, Anna is fighting her own demons, one of them being her inability to face the outside world, which confines her to her apartment, day and night. So, when the Russell family moves into West 121st street, opposite her apartment she indulges in her favourite pastime, that of being a peeper.
In spite of her shrink advising her not to peep into the lives of others, Anna freely continues to do so and discusses the same in her telephonic conversations with her separated husband Edward every morning, who reiterates her psychiatrist’s advice.
In the meanwhile, Jane Russell (Julianne Moore) visits Anna and spends an evening with her followed by her son Ethan’s (Fred Hechinger) visit later on. In Ethan, Anna finds a child (he’s fifteen and a half) who is vulnerable and is for certain being abused by a possessive and anger-management inability to control father, Alistair (Gary Oldman).
In her genuine quest to know if Ethan is being mistreated Anna now uses a DSLR camera and is witness to the murder of Jane. She immediately dials 911 and rushes towards the Russell residence – but for her agoraphobia.
Detective Little (Brian T Henry) responds and when the Russell family make an appearance, Jane is not the person whom Anna has met. It is also championed that Anna may be suffering from hallucinations as a result of her medication and her being an alcoholic (which she can’t touch because of the after effects with the medicines).
It also comes as a shock that Anna is recuperating from the death of her husband and her daughter, both of whom died in the car crash, in which Anna was driving. The voices she speaks with every morning are imaginary.
So, who is the actual Jane? Or has it all been the figment of Anna’s imagination? Did she actually witness a murder, from her window, or was it all concocted in the deep abyss of her guilty mind?
The twist at the end is pretty predictable – but the anti-hero, perhaps is not. That’s the beauty of psychological thrillers, we know what to expect next, but know not from who.
Based on the novel written by pseudonymous author A. J. Finn (Daniel Mallory), The Woman in the Window, does not offer any fresh perspectives, new storyline, or twists in the plot. It does what other thrillers have done and been doing thus far – it entertains.
Well, several critics would love to argue on this one thought, that great cinema is meant to entertain, not make one think or reflect. The jury is still out – like the murder of Jane – did it or did it not take place?
Watch the Fox 2000 Pictures released film on Netflix and take your own call on this one!
3/5