We are all given a myriad of choices on how to deal with life. But, unexpected traumatic incidents could leave us crippled and desolate. A romantic story is interjected with a dilemma that would test their passion for each other.
The most beautiful couple ever cast in an independent film, Robin Tunney plays Izzy, a young photographer, and Joel Edgerton plays her love interest, the dashing Peter, an assistant professor at a University in Los Angeles. We are mesmerized by how passionately they love and make love to each other at the get go. The fiery love they have for each other has them planning the path into blissful marriage.
Then comes trouble... some random act of violence mars their relationship. In spite of their seemingly mature stature they both deal with the problem in different ways, both leading them to a downward spiral. Their choices have made them question each other's love and trust. A life and death situation has happened to one partner -- how does one know how to react to that?
Their friends and their familes get in the picture, who eventually reveal to have dealt with their own traumatic experiences in their lives. Both familes intervene to no avail. Frustration looms over the couple's heads.
As the parents are presented in the film, characters intertwine as we weave through this web. The Southern Belle, mother of Izzy is played by strong-willed but loving Cybill Shepherd, who meddles her way into her daughter's life. Soft-spoken but caring sports writer father of Izzy is played by Elliott Gould. Added to the pack is a mercurial free-spirited father of Peter, played by Scott Wilson.
These parents are the epitome of the "now" parents who make their children make their own choices but when problems arise, they are there to the rescue. Quirky and meddling as we observe them to be, there is the love factor that we sometimes overlook.
Open Window shows the intricate ways communication or lack of communication can make or break relationships. The nuances of couple's activities are dramatized by the director and the actors with such care not to melodramatize. The film is successful in showing how real family relationships work. So uncanny.
The performances and the storyline have caused me to cringe at my past mistakes. Opening my mind to the "mistake of closing the door to the rest of the World, hey, does not solve any problems." Robin Tunney's portrayal of Izzy fills you with questions on why this stable woman with high hopes in life deals with the dilemma like that. Kudos to Robin in how she showed range in her emotions all through her eyes. You could see all the feelings through her eyes, I empathized with her and I believed her. Joel Edgerton's portrayal of Peter unravelled slowly on screen. Every scene you see he peels off his character's layers. Edgerton is a gifted actor and has perfect timing. I am thankful that the storyline has brought the characters to seek professional help. The psychiatrist was played with a sincere listening ear by Academy Award nominee Shirley Knight. The character gave an objective side to the lead couple to consider. She gave the couple options or just a listening ear. It was their saving grace.
This is a universally appealing film, directed and written by a person who has definitely lived life. Mia Goldman has brought to screen characters that, however flawed they may seem, are so real that you see them bleed -- literally and figuratively.
Open Window is a definite must see! Cinematography and editing are so fluid matched with a passionately romantic soundtrack. It is a love story that deals
with real life situations. Yes it will make you cry, but it will challenge you to feel again what love is really all about.
Mia Goldman says of her film,"every person has choices, in that sense we are free. We can have bad things happen to us, and in that we have no choice; but we do have a choice how we react to them. And that gives the power to the person and stops them from being a victim. And we all have that, and I wanted to make people feel that, to give them that sense of hope."
http://www.openwindowmovie.com/main.html
Rating: 10 out of 10
