Film Review 3

Film Review 3

The Neighbours’ Window

Written & directed by: Marshall Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1vCrsZ80M4

‘The Neighbour’s window’ (TNW) follows the protagonist, a mother, who is still coming to terms with her new life. She is bored of the routine developed in her family life and occasionally feels alone in parenthood due to her husband’s lack of help (antagonists). TNW also tell a story of insecurity and nostalgia, there is a longing for the past experienced by both the mother and the father. However, it also teaches the importance of appreciating your life and families as all can be taken away in an instant.

Act 1 begins with the mother and father relieved the children have finally gone to sleep and they begin discussing the children’s antics of the day. It is clear to the audience that the children cause their parents’ stress. This is an early indication of the struggles of parenthood which only continue to worsen throughout the film. This representation is relatable to all parents as parenthood is not easy and these are common struggles. I think creating two relatable characters which the film follows was a powerful idea as the audience can resonate with them and really understand what they are going through which will keep them engaged and immersed.

The inciting incident comes shortly after the opening sequence. Both the mother and father spot the neighbours in the opposite apartment sharing an intimate moment. Both are captivated by the pair and begin speaking about them, what they are doing and what they might be thinking. The mother’s insecurities become clear here as she takes her husband’s comment about flexibility and confuses it with sexual attraction.  The subtext here is that she lacks self confidence and does not feel attractive to her husband. If she felt her husband was still attracted to her, she would not have taken that comment in a jealous way. I think this connotes her insecurities as both an expectant mother and as a mother, she does not feel like she did before her children. She has changed which created a lack of confidence. Again, this is a relatable trait to portray through this character as many mothers’ experience feeling less attractive. However, this is not only relatable to mothers as people are constantly changing which affects their confidence. It gives a good sense of where the mother is emotionally and makes her obsession over the neighbours more justified, she is trying to get what she is lacking through them.

The end of act 1 and beginning of act 2 shows a rise in action, the couple begin to become more and more fascinated by the neighbours and the strain on their relationship is shown. The mother begins arguing with the father about her stressful day with the children, lack of sleep and her attempt to juggle responsibilities. What appears to be a stressed rant holds deeper meaning. The mother is really trying to communicate that she needs and that she wants more help and support from her husband, she needs a break from all her stresses as she is struggling to handle them all alone.

The couple also begin to feel nostalgic within this part of the story, they are coming to terms with the fact they are getting older. They begin discussing how boring and mundane their lives have become, how they miss being 20 and the lack of intimacy between them now. Although they appear to be nostalgic of the past what they are really nostalgic of is the connection and the closeness they used to feel towards one another before commitments began consuming all their time.

There is also a montage of film showing the mother alone looking after the children or feeling distant from her husband. This is where she begins to watch the neighbours more frequently, they are fulfilling her desires of wanting to feel loved again, how her husband used to make her feel. The song choice of ‘Nobody Else Will Be There’ by The Nationals also connotes the idea that the mother feels alone in parenthood with little support from her husband. Although he notices her obsession and it begins hurting him, he makes no effort to comfort her and rekindle the damaged parts of their relationship.

The mid-point is when the couple realise their neighbours’ life is not as perfect as they have envisioned it to be. They discover that the man has no hair and doesn’t look very well, this is quickly followed by the plot twist. The mother realises the man is dying and receiving palliative care within his own home. The mother recognizes that she has only been able to watch their life through a small window and really had no idea about what was going on. I like this idea, as in a contemporary world people are constantly watching each other’s lives through the ‘window’ of social media where everyone appears to be happy, even though that is not always the case. It is very easy to envy someone else’s life over your own.

The death of the neighbour prompts the mother to go and speak with the deceased neighbour’s wife, this sets up the resolution. The mother learns that the neighbours had also been watching them and had become envious of her family, they would watch the children while dreaming for their own (which they knew they would not have). The mother realises she should be more grateful of the life and family she has as other people dream of it. She realises she has taken some things for granted, like her relationship with her husband, which could be taken away in seconds. The moral of the story is that everyone’s lives are desirable in their own ways and to be grateful for what you have. This will resonate with every viewer because it is so easy to take your life for granted.

I really like the story being told within this short film.  It tells the story of two couples, one nostalgic of the past and wishing to go back to a time where they were younger with no children and another who could only dream of growing old together and starting a family. The resolution sees the protagonist come to terms with her new life. We see a small change in her husbands support as he has taken the children out so the mother can relax but the audience do not see a progression in their level of intimacy. Although all her needs and desires are not met by the end of the film, she is appreciative of her relationship and her family. She understands time has passed and both her and her husband have changed so their relationship will never return to what it used to be but she is willing to accept that although it is different to what she is used to, it is still enough.