Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Michael_Elliott Windows (1980) ** (out of 4) Emily (Talia Shire) walks into her apartment when she is attacked from behind. She is forced onto the ground with a knife where the man threatens to kill her unless she shows him what she has and that she moans in satisfaction so that he can record it. Police detective Luffrono (Joseph Cortese) questions Emily but she has no details of the man. Soon the two of them are striking up a relationship, which doesn't sit well with Emily's former neighbor Andrea (Elizabeth Ashley).WINDOWS is a film that I heard about decades ago when movies like SINGLE WHITE FEMALE and THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE were making big cash at the box office. It seems WINDOWS was pretty much forgotten for the most part yet I always wanted to see it even with the rather negative reviews that it got. I must admit that the film wasn't very good and in fact it's pretty silly when viewed today. The film attempts to be a psychological study of two troubled women but in the end it's basically about a lesbian who can't tell another woman she wants her.It's interesting that this same year also gave us CRUISING. That film was highly controversial and perhaps so much so that this film got away with the idea that a woman could be a nut simply because she was a lesbian and wants another woman. Instead of telling her she orders the woman to be sexually attacked and then she begins to stalk her. All of this should have made for a more interesting film but sadly WINDOWS just never really takes off. The biggest problem is the screenplay, which tries to avoid any real violence or anything all that dramatic and instead we just see the two women as they discuss their situations with the men in their lives. Emily has her cop friend and Andrea has her shrink.I'm not going to sit here and say that the movie doesn't have any good qualities because it does. Shire was very good in her role, although the screenplay doesn't give her too much to do except to act scared at times and at other times to stutter. She's still quite good as the fragile woman as is Ashley, although she's given even less to do. The real standout was Cortese who was excellent in the role of the detective. The film does benefit from some nice cinematography and the New York City locations were great.Some people might find the subject disturbing and some might find the film to be creepy but neither really worked on me. The film is mildly entertaining but it never has any real suspense and that's its real downfall. Gordon Willis was a wonderful cinematographer but it's easy to see why he never really blossomed as a director. The lack of any real energy or suspense kills the film and you just keep waiting for it to take off but it never does.
deme1995 I was astounded at the astoundfullness of this piece of art. It is so rare to find a masterpiece such as thee, that exemplifies the magic of windows. It was perfect...the shiny...the dull...pained and beveled...it covered it all. "Windows" proudly displays all of these wonderful types of windows. I was rather impressed with subplot of the stained-glass. I did, though, think it could have been brought down to earth with a mere reference to some sort of window cleaner. i.e. "windex" possibly. I thought that would have provided some degree of comic relief. Overall, best movie I have seen in ages about windows. Might I suggest a sequel perhaps called..."The Doors"? I personally feel this was the best movie released in January of 1980.
richard-seelbach I don't know much about the history of this movie which nevertheless seems to be interesting. I've read nearly all the comments on IMDb about it (on a rainy Sunday) which, with a few exceptions, sound all alike. I'm 37, so I didn't have the chance to watch it in a theater. I'm unfortunately not able to find out anything about the original aspect ratio of it. A video (VHS) (with aspect ratio 1.33 : 1) edition came out in Germany in 1987 and it's not hard to track down these days. I bought it a week ago together with Friedkin's 'Cruising' from that same year and watched them as double features with friends (all around my age). First I have to say (for both movies): Neither my friends nor me (all being not 'politically correct' but very sensitive about offensive perspectives, words or actions going out from filmmakers concerning their attitude about the subject of the particular movie) found anything projectedly homophobic in those movies! Talking about 'Windows' I'm not quite sure that Elisabeth Ashley's character is a lesbian at all. She seems to be more like a split personality with psychotic parts. There may be lesbian undertones but the topic in itself is not exploited (negatively or machoesque or in any other way) here! I'm sure there were no 'bad' intentions (not from Gordon Willis and not from Mister Friedkin, concerning the other 'case')even if considering that times were pretty different in 1979/1980. As you can see from the title windows are used as key visuals in this movie. Much of it is seen (in both directions) through them, very often the city and the (then intact) skyline of New York (which is photographed so hauntingly beautiful that sometimes it seems to stand in the middle of the room with the actors). So naturally a voyeur's view is achieved, which stresses the (as I see it) purpose of the movie: A comment about dysfunctional social life in modern big cities used as background for a moody thriller. Talia Shire (as Emily Hollander) is stuttering and having a divorce, everybody seems to have an analyst and even Elisabeth Ashly's character is almost painfully lonely and more of a victim than anything else. Being a very important and successful director of photography Gordon Willis nonetheless relies a bit too much on his strong, dark and sometimes (seen from today) beautifully old-fashioned photography and his obvious love for New York. The script is not the strongest, at least seen in a badly dubbed German version. 'Windows' is not a classic, but I'd recommend it if todays films sometimes appear to be a bit too hasty and fast-cut to some of you. I don't really understand the negative fuss, even when it came from a young and perhaps a bit too careful (again seen from today) gay movement, that's been made around it for the last 27 years and that even killed the career of Mr. Willis as a director. He was hassled so much by the reactions on the movie that he said a couple of years ago that 'Windows' would be the biggest mistake in his entire life! As one conclusion I think especially the people at Warner's should take all this into consideration (rewatch and rethink!), give absolution and perhaps a 'sorry' to Mr. Willis (he's not the youngest anymore!!!) and put it out on DVD.
danielturek Windows is a misunderstood comment on society. Viewers obviously didn't understand in 1980 exactly what director Gordan Willis was trying to convey. This is an examination of gender and sexuality that could never be made today. Shire gives an understated and believable performance and took this risky role that helped end her promising career. Shire however has the last laugh as she can proudly look back now and remember that she made an important film. The cinematography and set design makes this an important chapter in the urban thriller genre. Fans of Gordan Willis will be thrilled by the cinematography, as he directed this motion picture and thereby was given free reign to show off his creative genius. Shire however has the last laugh as she could proudly look back now and remember that she made an important film. This is a great complement to Coppla's The Conversation. The two make an exciting great double feature. I implore you to join me in my campaign to bring this underrated gem to DVD and help it achieve its rightful place among cinemas classic titles.
