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billybaumeister1234
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The Woman in the Window (2021)
Underwhelming Bland Adaptation of Thrilling Best-Selling Novel
I read this book back in April of 2017 when I was a sophomore in high school and I was so invested in the characters, story, twists. I am a 19 year old male who loves psychological thrillers so this story was right up my alley. I read the book after reading "Big Little Lies" which continued my saga of excellent twisty mysteries. The minute I saw the trailer, I had a feeling it wouldn't be amazing but maybe will still be a great thriller. I'm very underwhelmed with the finished product.
The film feels like an abridged version of the book, making the entire story so rushed that you don't have enough time to care about any of the characters. They are all so underdeveloped which is a tragedy because I was left not caring about any of the characters including the main character. That is the problem. Dr. Anna Fox was just a mess rather than someone the audience can somewhat relate to, she's almost laughable in the film. It wasn't Amy Adam's fault at all, it was the way her character was barely fleshed out. She was just a paranoid agoraphobic mess of a woman which the book expressed but with even more of a humane and understanding touch so the audience can feel something for her for the right reasons. The characters were too one dimensional, leaving the superb cast with not much to play with.
It wasn't that the film was a bore, it was such a try-hard to be suspenseful. The director relied heavily on the look of the film which in this case, didn't end up winning me over like "Atonement" did. I am quite stunned at how this wasn't an HBO or Netflix television show. A limited series that included more scenes from the book for character development would've helped a ton. The film got rid of so many plot points from the book that would've made Anna a lot more likeable and all the characters way more interesting. All the characters were bland pieces of cardboard with a tiny sprig of lavender on top.
I was entertained by the forgettable film which is not what I was hoping for. The book left a mark on me with how exciting and juicy it was while the film felt way too energetic, resulting in missing the biggest punchlines psychological thrillers offer. I could a sense of "let's get this over with" with how the story was told.
I would recommend people read and stick to the phenomenal book. The film is a Sparknotes for those who don't care for this kind of material. But if you like this genre, by all means, don't watch this disappointing adaptation, hoping for the next "Rear Window" meets "Gone Girl" level of brilliance. It's more "The Girl on the Train" meets "Sharp Objects". It had "The Girl on the Train" level of careless forgettable underwhelming drama and the slower pace of the excellently adapted "Sharp Objects" which was an HBO limited series starred also, by the talented and beautiful Amy Adams. I'm giving the film a 7 because of the cast who did the best they could with the mediocre and bland material they received. I'm not saying it's horrible but it's also not amazing so do with what you will with that information.
The Favourite (2018)
The Favourite is not my favorite
I went in with the highest of expectations. This was probably the second film, first being Barry Jenkin's Moonlight, where I so badly wanted to like or even love it but that would really just be a lie. I respect the main three actresses so much. Olivia Colman is so good in this particular role. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz were entertaining but their roles weren't as juicy as I thought. This was compared to the cinematic hit "All About Eve". Is it just me or does that sound like a compliment too good to be true. Weisz and Stone's rivalry was not as enjoyable as I would've liked it to be. The whole feel of the film was so creepy and bizarre. I got an uneasy feeling of confusion of boredom as I was watching it. Their costumes were exquisite but the story just didn't work for me. I left the theatre saying to myself, "Did I not understand the film? Were there hidden messages that I didn't catch?" I looked up the spoilers and whole plot and realized that wasn't the issue. The issue was how it was presented. It should've been directed by someone else. This film is just way too boring and bizarre for me. I'm not stopping anyone from seeing this film but just don't go in, thinking it's the best picture of 2018. It certainly isn't.