The Voyeurs (2021) starring Sydney Sweeney, Justice Smith, Ben Hardy, & Natasha Liu Bordizzo
Pippa {Sydney Sweeney) and Thomas (Justice Smith) move into their dream apt [in Montreal, Quebec]. They notice that their windows look directly into the apt opposite- inviting them to witness the volatile relationship of the attractive couple across the street. But when they attempt to anonymously intercede in their lives, they unwittingly set in motion a chain of events that will lead to disaster.
Have y’all seen any of the Amazon original content? I recently saw one ep of the (V pricy) spy series Citadel; it was mainly mindless action. I have low tolerance for Priyanka Chopra (who was huge in Bollywood some yrs. ago). Richard Madden is wasted; maybe he needs a new agent (as he has been getting stuck in action/superhero roles). As for The Rings of Power, those are hrs. I’ll never get back; even the CGI and action looked unimpressive! However, I had (some) hopes for this erotic thriller after hearing an interview w/ the director (Michael Mohan) on the Fatal Attractions pod.
The setting is urban; the production design is sleek, clean, and modern. All of the actors are young, fit, and attractive; they dress, act, and speak like today. Pippa (an optometrist) and Thomas (a musician who now composes for commercials) have lost the spark in their relationship after a few yrs. together. They joke around a LOT and act more like besties than lovers. You’ll be reminded somewhat of Hitchcock’s Rear Window, as they get TOO interested in their (sexy/dramatic) neighbors- a hunky fashion photographer named Seb (Hardy) and his elegant wife- Julia (Liu Bordizzo). After some time, we see problematic elements in these strangers’ marriage. Spying on them is no longer fun for Thomas (who was the most sympathetic character), though Pippa gets more obsessed (after meeting Julia at her eyeglass store). In the last act, the movie goes off the rails (you can see for yourself)! There are explicit scenes and nudity; this could put off some sensitive viewers. Sadly, the plot drives the story, NOT the characters (who needed to be developed more). The running time (nearly 2 hrs) felt TOO long.
[1] The story gets preposterous at the end, I feel like it had one too many twists, literally just one less at the end and it’ll be fine by me. […]
As a whole, feels like it was stuck in-between two minds, whether to make it an erotica or not.
[2] I liked the overall tone, aesthetics, cast, acting, concept… But the ending was too much. The unreal twists have kind of broken the spell for me. I’d love to see this movie with a simpler more realistic third act.
[3] I really think that the twists and turns that come after were put in as an afterthought when the director realised nobody was going to buy what he had sold up to that point.
He should have just made an erotic thriller. […] The attempts at seriousness or social commentary come to nothing, and in the final act, are totally abandoned.
-Excerpts from IMDb reviews
Sanctuary (2022) starring Christopher Abbott & Margaret Qualley
Follows a dominatrix and Hal, her wealthy client, and the disaster that ensues when Hal tries to end their relationship. -Synopsis
This indie film is available for rent on Amazon Prime; I learned about it from TIFF vids on YT. I had high hopes here, BUT it failed to impress me. It’s hard to care about the two characters. We keep wondering IF Hal (Abbott) and Rebecca (Qualley- daughter of Andie McDowell) are just playing a game or if they could be in love. One reviewer commented that it looks like Film School 101. The movie was filmed over 18 days in one location (an elegant hotel room). The dialogue is (sadly) NOT strong and some of the directorial choices didn’t make sense. Hal’s daddy issues are V obvious. If you’ve seen HBO’s comedy Girls, you know that Abbott (who mainly works in theater and indies) is a pretty good actor (who can convey vulnerability). Both actors throw themselves into the story. There is no nudity here (and it lacked heat/sexual chemistry); there are strong words (insults) tossed about that may be offensive to some viewers. The ending was unexpected and ineffective!
I think the movie is about performance in so many ways. There are so many lines in the movie where characters say, “Say the words that I told you to say, the words don’t matter,” or, “I wrote the scenes, all you did was say the words, this is the question that you’re supposed to ask me next, I want you to stick to my script.” It’s funny because when I was developing the script with Micah Bloomberg, there was never any conversation where we were like, “Oh, this is about filmmaking or acting!” That never came up, but in retrospect, gosh, that is all over the story. -Zachary Wigon, director
[1] It’s an up and down ride of domination and submission, game or no game. Freedom or going with the narratives you’re assigned in life.
It’s also a love story of sorts, maybe not the healthiest, but that’s how it goes sometimes in life.
[2] Margaret Qualley is the indisputable show stealer here… […]
However, the film failed to create a similar impression.
And that’s mainly because the writing, the narration, it all felt too obtrusive, too pretentious.
[3] Two good performances by Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott weren’t enough to save me from this bloated talkfest that I felt just became more repetitive and unbelievable as it progressed. […]
It’s hard for me to surmise that all this photographed dialogue would be any more effective had the film have been shaped as a play; instead, I think “Sanctuary” would have had more impact as a twenty-minute short rather than increasingly struggling to stay on its feet for a full 96 minutes.
-Excerpts from IMDb reviews
Knightleyemma 