Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Movie Review: Rear Window (1954)

So, when the awesome Waad The Magazine offered to feature a review from KemzMovies in its instagram account (@Waad_TheMagazine) I thought that I needed a movie that is awesome of course and has some of the iconic fashion in Hollywood history. I was so happy to see that one of these movies is Rear Window; a suspense thriller by none other than the brilliant Alfred Hitchcock and stared by James Stewart and Queen of Monaco, Grace Kelly.  

The movie is the thrilling story of photojournalist L.B. 'Jeff' Jefferies (James Stewart) when he was forced to stay at home for 7 weeks due to a broken leg. As he contemplates on whether to marry his socialist girl friend Lisa (Grace Kelly), Jeff spends his days looking at his neighbors through his window.  Their daily routine was just the entertainment he needed in his boring days, until one day he suspects a neighbor of killing his wife.

I saw this movie maybe a year or so ago and I couldn’t forget it! I loved it so much! Hitchcock movies for me are timeless. I knew that when I watched my first Hitchcock movie, Notorious.

This movie however is not in Black & White and has a more fun element to it. The story in itself is very interesting (based on short story by Cornell Woolrich). How we do sometimes look at windows and wonder who live there and what their stories. It was clear how through Jeff’s window we saw many variety of characters and stereotypes, like, the lonely woman, the young dancer adored by all, the newly weds and the old couple who fights everyday and through that window as well, we, the viewers, look inside Jeff and Lisa’s relationship. The whole story is revolved around that one Rear Window!

It’s quite remarkable how this now resembles how people peep into other people’s lives, not through binoculars, but through social media. One click and a window is opened to us to peak into someone else’s life. We should be careful to not end up obsessing like Jeff!

On another note, Grace Kelly is seriously amazing! She’s so graceful, elegant and smart. She portrayed a very powerful woman in this movie and played her really well. I loved how her character Lisa wasn’t just this stereotype of a woman who just loves fashion, no, she was a strong and accomplished woman who didn’t fear to face the danger threatening her. To comment on the fashion side of it, every time the apartment doors open, Grace Kelly enters wearing a beautiful elegant gown, a summer dress or a chic suit! The four iconic looks created in the movie is such a beautiful tribute to 1950s fashion! As timeless as the movie itself!

I’m looking forward to the movie about her life, Grace of Monaco, priemering at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. Even though Nicole Kidman is playing Grace and lately she hasn’t been good in any of her movies! Ah, let’s wait and see!

I really enjoyed the movie even though this is the second time I watch it, but you know what? It’s fun and exciting and it’s just a nice true thriller that doesn’t have all that elaborated soundtracks and fake blood and weird stuff going on.
You know, you can never go wrong with a Classic!


Till Saturday! (I’m thinking, Argo?!)
Kemz
Twitter & Instagram: @KemzMovies 

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