Reviewed by Neil Davey
Stars Shia LaBeouf, David Morse, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss,
Aaron Yoo, Matt Craven, Jose Pablo Cantillo
Written by Christopher Landon & Carl Ellsworth
Produced by Joe Medjuck
Certification UK 15 | US PG-13
Runtime 104 minutes
Directed by D J Caruso
Many are describing Disturbia as Rear Window with a teenage spin. There’s a good reason for that: Disturbia IS Rear Window with a teenage spin. It’s basically Hitchcock with more hormones and "life is so unfair" adolescent angst. If that sounds like a dig... well, yes, it probably is. Rear Window really didn’t need a remake / update / reinvention / whatever. Most films don’t, and Hollywood’s endless rehashing is a big bugbear around Jabber Towers. But, somewhat grudgingly from the comfort of the soapbox, I have to admit that Disturbia still manages to press several of the right buttons. It might not be a classic, but you certainly won’t be bored.
Amiable juvenile lead Shia La Beouf continues his relentless trip up towards the A List as Kale, the teenager placed under house arrest for slapping a teacher who makes a smartarse comment about his father. The father who dies in, basically, one of the most unexpected opening scenes for some time. With his mum (The Matrix’s Moss) cutting off his Xbox Live subscription and iTunes account, Kale is forced to find new distractions. Happily one’s just moved in next door: Ashley (Roemer), who looks great in a bikini and swims. A lot. Unhappily, another diversion has moved into the neighbourhood: Mr Turner (the always excellent Morse), who doesn’t look great in a bikini and might just be the serial killer the police are hunting.
Cue lots of new technology, a housebound spying mission and lots of is he? / isn’t he? tension. It’s all pretty predictable, but La Beouf brings a likeable energy to proceedings, Morse is genuinely disturbing and Caruso’s better-than-you-expect direction delivers a reasonable amount of plam-sweating moments. These do, admittedly, tend to be of the loud noise / jumping out of the shadows variety rather than the creeping sense of menace Hitchcock instilled, but it’s still effective enough. While Disturbia is no classic, it’s perfectly acceptable Saturday night entertainment.
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SECOND OPINION | Hemanth Kissoon ***½ You’ve got to hand it to Hitchcock. Every time there is a possibility his immeasurable influence seems to be slipping from the collective memory, out pops a film that reminds us. Think Fight Club and Psycho. Disturbia is not in the same league as the magnificent Fight Club, but is a well made riff on Rear Window that has a bold opening and possible, interesting allegorical aspirations. The premise, like its forbear, is brutally simple. Teenager Kale (LaBeouf) has been traumatised, and a seemingly good kid has gone off the rails into repeated delinquency. One transgression too many lands him under house-arrest for his summer vacation. He is low-jacked with an ankle-tag that will alert the police if he leaves the house for more than 10 seconds.
Like James Stewart, he starts to go stir crazy, and begins to spy on his neighbours for kicks. There is the secretive amorous goings on opposite, the street tearaways, and then a girl his own age moves in next door — where he proceeds to perve over her through his binoculars. Oh yeah, and there is a seriously dodgy neighbour (Morse) — could he be a serial killer the police are looking for? The film uses deft short-hand to establish characters, that are hardly new but at least aren’t annoying. I was wondering what all the fuss was about rising star LaBeouf after annoying turns in Constantine and I,Robot, but this year he has delivered the one-two-three punch of A Guide to Recognising Your Saints, Transformers and Disturbia — demonstrating his versatility and quiet charisma. He is ably supported by Yoo (Ronnie, Kale’s best mate), Roemer's girl next door, Ashley, Carrie-Ann Moss as his mum (how can the lovely Moss be playing mums already? — The Matrix was only 8 years ago) and David Morse. Morse, like Raymond Burr in Rear Window, is a large man who can play both soft (The Green Mile, Contact) and hard (16 Blocks), which makes him ideal as either a docile neighbour or nutty killer.
What elevates Disturbia above the typical, are the words of Morse’s Mr Turner: “The world is in a heightened state of paranoia.” By commenting on modern paranoia, the characters and setting seem like metaphors. Kale is America. The traumatic experience of 9/11 caused it to lash out. The authorities (ie, the United Nations and much of the world) have chastised the entering of Iraq, as a step too far, which has led to isolation. Turner represents terrorism/Iran/North Korea, but they who cried wolf over weapons of mass destruction are now not so readily believed. The neighbourhood is not as safe as once perceived.
Story-wise, nothing new (see Monster House, The Burbs, Desperate Housewives, etc.), and the gratuitous product placement is grating. But the opening is a cracking sucker-punch that hooks you in, while the plotting, pacing and performances are kept tight to make this a very enjoyable Hollywood thriller. I like the title, too.
• Official Site
• Disturbia at IMDb
• Watch the trailer in HD: WMV | QT
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