Rear Window (1998)

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Modern remake of "Rear Window" in which the lead character (Christopher Reeve) is paralyzed and lives in a high-tech home filled with assistive technology.This film gets a lot of criticism because it is not Hitchcock. And yes, that is true. It probably had no chance of matching the original. But viewing it not as a remake but as a film by itself, it is not all that terrible. It was made for TV, but seems to be of a highest quality than that. And you have to admire that someone wanted to give Christopher Reeve a starring role when his ability became so slim.The "hacking" a guy's computer when he's one room over is a little silly, because you know... um... people can hear that?

The idea is great since it comes from a master mind of suspense. The main actor is also great because he plays his own role as a crippled victim of a dumb accident. But at the same time something is wrong in the extraordinary exhibitionism of these Americans who do not know what a blind is and who broadcast every single of their sighs to the whole neighborhood through open windows and paper thin walls. It makes the voyeur in this case practically justified since there is no other way but hear and see. But that's too easy. It takes a lot of the secrecy of this voyeuristic knowledge out of the story. The suspense itself is even in many ways reduced, crippled. From a dark and frightening film we shift in this remake to a plain action film with a cripple as the main character who is beautifully rendered by Christopher Reeve, but that is not enough to make a great film. This remake is not really improving, nor even getting close to the original.Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Christopher Reeve was forced to stay on a wheelchair since his tragic 1995 equestrian fall... He was lonely and with emptiness in his new life... His approach to the window was not an act of voyeurism, but a sincere wish to see how life was going on...Reeve was observing what he could never do again... He was watching the movements of everybody: lovers, newlyweds, lonely hearts, old people... And for the fact of being a real-life quadriplegic, he gave the performance of his life... He was the perfect choice in the role of a distinguished architect whose life becomes altered after a violent car collision...Paralyzed from neck down, and surrounded by cell phones, computer, voice-activated technology, Jason Kemp is in complete control from his astonished therapy operation suite... He is able, with only his voice, to turn on the lights, to open the elevator, to exchange e-mails with the killer...But Reeve was also communicating to us his severe moments with great close-ups to his anguish face... We watch his breathing difficulties from the breathing machine...Reeve was seen as the man, who was not acting all the time... His face related it several times... We felt his distress, his bitterness, his agony, his vulnerability... And as much as he suffered in silence, he fought for life... His weakness was his endeavors for perseverance... Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) was a superhero in his determination and tenacity... He proved it in being the first Quadriplegic actor on a high-tech wheelchair in a leading role... He gave, under Jeff Bleckner wise direction, a perfect, chilling performance and a highly entertaining remake...

While nobody expected this to be anywhere near as good as Hitchcock's classic, I found the film surprisingly engrossing. Some people might say Reeve didn't stretch his abilities, but I would argue that he still convinced me that he was Jason Kemp. Reeve's character is absolutely helpless, whereas Jimmy Stewart could still use his arms, and this made Reeve's character all the more vulnerable. It made for a more suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat film. I've read that this film was simply a showcase for the gadgets that Reeve uses to live life, but I think that's an unfair criticism of a thoroughly enjoyable, not to mention educational, film.The rest of the cast provides solid support, but it's Reeve's show all the way. I'm glad the accident didn't keep him away from acting. He's always been an underrated actor, except as Superman, so it's good to see a different role provide him with a high profile opportunity to showcase his acting ability. (If you're curious about Reeve's other great roles, I'd definitely check out Deathtrap, where he stole the show from Michael Caine and Dyan Cannon.)