This is my third Joe Wright movie after his 2005 take on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and his Oscar-winning war drama Darkest Hour and I have to say, his movies aren't my cup of tea. Both of those movies I found to be highly overrated - Darkest Hour especially - and whilst I can see the appeal for some, I have to cast some doubt over his directorial ability. Overall, I would say that The Woman in the Window is about the same quality as Darkest Hour, but not quite as good as Pride and Prejudice which is probably his best film - according to his fans.
Amy Adams does very well here to lift a role out of the mud that was created by the script and Wright's shoddy direction. Without her, the movie falls to a 4 star rating, perhaps even lower. Other than her performance, what kept me entertained here were the Hitchcock references (that a big Hitchcock fan myself, understood) and the twists that somehow, mostly, didn't play into my expectations.
Gary Oldman does his usual thing that he does in plenty of his films where he shouts and overacts, usually when he plays the villain or a main character. Yep, he does it here, but it isn't Jared Leto-style annoying, it's just a bit cringe-worthy at times. He plays the father in the family that Amy Adams' character spies on during the film, unfortunately, his character wasn't explored as much as I would've liked.
The flashback sequences were great and added something different to the story- something that the 1954 classic Rear Window didn't have. Also, the finale was tense enough to keep me watching.
I would only recommend watching this movie if you have a free 2 hours and you want some disposable entertainment, but something good enough to keep you watching and engaged. Like I say, Amy Adams is always worth watching, even if she's being directed by Joe Wright (who I am not a fan of).
Amy Adams does very well here to lift a role out of the mud that was created by the script and Wright's shoddy direction. Without her, the movie falls to a 4 star rating, perhaps even lower. Other than her performance, what kept me entertained here were the Hitchcock references (that a big Hitchcock fan myself, understood) and the twists that somehow, mostly, didn't play into my expectations.
Gary Oldman does his usual thing that he does in plenty of his films where he shouts and overacts, usually when he plays the villain or a main character. Yep, he does it here, but it isn't Jared Leto-style annoying, it's just a bit cringe-worthy at times. He plays the father in the family that Amy Adams' character spies on during the film, unfortunately, his character wasn't explored as much as I would've liked.
The flashback sequences were great and added something different to the story- something that the 1954 classic Rear Window didn't have. Also, the finale was tense enough to keep me watching.
I would only recommend watching this movie if you have a free 2 hours and you want some disposable entertainment, but something good enough to keep you watching and engaged. Like I say, Amy Adams is always worth watching, even if she's being directed by Joe Wright (who I am not a fan of).