Fans of the psychological detective were eagerly awaiting the release of the film “The Woman in the Window”, based on the book of the same name by Daniel Mallory, better known under the pseudonym AJ Finn.
The stated budget of the picture of 40 million was impressive and inspired huge expectations.
Plot Summary
A detective novel with elements of a thriller tells about a child psychologist suffering from attacks of agoraphobia. The main character Anna Fox leads a reclusive lifestyle. The only entertainment is watching the neighbors from the windows of your house. It is this passion that will draw Anna into the cycle of unexpected and tragic events.
… New tenants settled in the house opposite. From that moment on, the Russell family compulsively invades Anna’s privacy. First, their fifteen-year-old son Ethan comes for a surprise visit. Jane Russell then assists her on the porch of the house and asks for a cup of tea to chat like a neighbor. Shortly thereafter, the head of the family, Alistair Russell, appears with questions and threats.
Anna begins to follow a strange family and unexpectedly becomes a witness to the murder of Jane. But the police don’t believe her. People around her think she’s crazy. Wine, combined with antipsychotics and antidepressants, really undermine her mental state. Imagine her amazement when the “murdered” Jane Russell appears in all her charm on the threshold of her house! Only one small circumstance allows Anna to think that something is wrong here. The woman who claims to be Jane doesn’t look like her at all. Anna begins her investigation. Where is the truth and where is the lie? She herself has to get to the bottom of the truth.
The meaning of the film
In the book version of the detective, the story is told from the perspective of the main character. AJ Finn skillfully mixes dialogues, monologues and Anna’s thoughts together ─ this captivates the reader and gives intrigue.
Film director Joe Wright tried to recreate the author’s intention. The whole film consists of mosaics, collecting which you get a logical ending. An oppressive atmosphere of anxiety and depression reigns throughout the film and reliably conveys the psychological state and protracted depression of the main character. Gloomy black and white colors seem to immerse in the isolation of the space in which a single woman has been living for more than 10 months.
From the fragments of her subconscious, with which the film is stuffed, it becomes clear to the viewer that Anna got sick after their car flew off the road. Her daughter and husband slowly died in the cold for two days, and she unsuccessfully tried to get through to the rescue service. At night, she still dreams of snow and the noise of a helicopter that arrived too late.
But with whom, then, does Anna talk on the phone every morning? After all, she claims that her husband and daughter are in Boston. It’s simple – she’s talking to herself. In the depths of her soul, she understands that they are no more, but does not want to accept this terrible reality.
Characteristics of heroes
The cast of the film is very impressive: Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Julianne Moore. The secondary characters don’t get much screen time. But thanks to the masterful play of the actors, they manage to bring the not-so-successful directing to a decent level.
Amy Adams as Anna is very convincing. The director reveals Anna’s character in such a way that the viewer’s opinion of her changes several times throughout the film. Everyone perceives her as a mentally ill person. It would seem that she should arouse sympathy. But as all the secrets and secrets are revealed, it turns out that Anna is not so white and fluffy. At the time of the accident, she was driving and they quarreled with her husband because of her infidelity.
Jane Russell is an annoying neighbor, appears on the screen for only five minutes, but her image is remembered for a long time. Actress Julianne Moore, who has changed in the role of Jane almost beyond recognition, plays her role incomparably. Soon Anna will see her in her window with a knife in her chest.
Alistair Russell appears to the viewer as the main contender for the role of the killer. A cruel imperious tyrant, as his son Iten wants to present him. But in fact, he is a miserable person. Life hardened him. Alistair is forced to hide the crimes of his psychopathic son, to endure his ex-wife, a drug addict. In fact, he only wanted to protect Anna from Ethan when he forbade her from approaching him.
The lodger David is also a rather suspicious character. Anna rents him the basement of her huge mansion. It can move freely throughout the house. Plus, he’s obviously hiding something.
And a completely unexpected turn is that the killer turned out to be a teenage boy. Playing on the pity of the viewer, he exposes himself as an unfortunate victim: sudden tears during a conversation, ostentatious horror at the sight of his father, a trusting look. What prompted Ethan to take the path of the killer in the film is not fully disclosed.
Conclusion
The film has good cinematography. A little annoying monotony and a protracted climax in the plot. The viewer is constantly waiting for something, but nothing happens. And at the end of the film, the too-fast final denouement is disappointing. It remains a mystery why Anna, a qualified child psychologist, could not recognize the makings of a killer in a teenager.
An unequal fight with a maniac in the open air brings a woman out of her stupor better than any depressants. Willy-nilly, she has to forget about her phobias and fight for her life.
