Movies are generally considered a form of entertainment. Usually this indicates that we watch something that can make us laugh or cry and challenge us emotionally. On occasion a film comes along that is so intense with its emotional impact that is sis difficult for us to think of it as being entertainment. A movie like this is so powerful that you are mesmerized by it but it seems to fall outside the realm of entertainment. You have to examine such a film by a different set of criteria. One example of this type of film is ‘Open Window’ by Mia Goldman. It is concerned with a young woman who is raped and the emotional aftermath this attack left. It is a difficult film to watch; hard to watch another human being trying desperately with some of the worse situations imaginable. Many may immediately try to compartmentalize this as a woman’s film and feel it should have been toned down and shown on a cable network like Lifetime. They would be incorrect. The art of cinema is intended to lay bare the emotional states that people experience. Like literature not all of those emotions are nice, positive and family friendly. A film like this is intended to make the audience think and most importantly feel something outside their normal comfort zone. In this quest it succeeds quite well. This is what independent film is all about. They are able to create a movie that no major studio would have the nerve to touch. Right from the outset it is a movie that is not going to make a ton of box office money. The Indy film maker is in it for the challenge and as an expression of his craft. The film was made for a reported budget of only $900,000; miniscule by any Hollywood standard. It was premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and then made the usual festival rounds ending with a Finish DVD release in early 2007. The film has found its way to the States thanks to a distribution by Image Entertainment. They have always been a place to go for Indy films so this should come as now surprise.

The film was written and directed by Mia Goldman. This is her freshman opus in both fields. Judging by this film it is the start to a brilliant career. Her prior experience has been in editing. She has worked on comedies such as ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ and ‘Dick’ as well as dramas like ‘Flesh and Bone’ and ‘Untamed Heart’. Before that she was assistant editor for ‘The Big Chill’ and ‘Body Heat’. A career in the editing side of film making is great preparation for a writer and director. It teaches the film maker how a movie is constructed and what is required to make a story flow properly. By having such a wide variety of genres in this area she obviously learned a lot about what makes a certain type of film work. In a project like this the subject matter is so heavy and at times difficult to watch it is imperative to weave a story that draws in the audience. The author has to write a story with a degree of humanity that touches the viewers. As the director she had to pace the film so that it doesn’t overwhelm the audience. Ms Goldman was very successful on both counts. The story is about a young woman, Izzy (Robin Tunney) who is attacked and raped. The focus is thankfully not graphically on the crime but concentrates on what follows. Life for Izzy and her fiancé Peter (Joel Edgerton) is altered drastically and forever. The Emotional damage goes beyond just affecting the couple. It extends to their parents; Izzy’s folks Arlene (Cybill Shepherd) and John (Elliott Gould) as well as Peter’s father Eddie (Scott Wilson). There is a lot that is familiar to the audience in this movie. What keeps it from being another clique flick is the determination that the cast and crew place in its production.

As a new director Ms Goldman is definitely on the right track. She handles sensitive material in such a fashion as to avoid the predilection towards the overly melodramatic. She is able to reign in her actors so they give a dramatic performance suitable to the material without going over board. The ancillary characters are quirky but not so that they become stereotypical self parodies. There is a fineness demonstrated here that excels beyond a one film writer director. The heinous crime is shown but is ultimately used as a catalyst not the central scene of the film. It shows that the crime is not just a sexual assault but an event that devastates entire families. There is also the pervading theme that one small action can ripple through the rest of your life and those closest to you. In this case a window carelessly left open is an invitation to the criminal. The way that Goldman constructs the film lends itself to the audience understanding these people. They are well drawn and relatable. We can see ourselves in them and a sympathetic emotional bond is quickly established. It has been said that love conquers all and this film shows what happens when that love is put to an extreme test. Ultimately Izzy has to relearn how to cope with the life that lies ahead. Peter tries to be there for her to help her and learn that his life has also been changed. Despite his attempts he becomes distant to her. Nothing happens quickly here. It is a painful and slow process to move back to something that resembles normalcy. This is a big part of what is so difficult to watch in this film. We feel so much for Izzy and Peter that we want it to be over as fast as possible but we know that such healing takes time. There is a point where Izzy and Peter become distant. They have to discover a new and different way to relate. Peter has always been protective of Izzy and is overcome with guilt and a feeling of inadequacy. Her mother Arlene is so self absorbed that she can only offer platitudes to her daughter.

This is a very talented cast. Tunney shows up in the most usual films around and always gives a stellar performance. Here she plays Izzy with a compassion that leaps off the screen. Edgerton is also excellent in the way he organically develops his character. We may feel bad when he becomes estranged from his love but there is an understanding that is provided that is something to watch. Image Entertainment has a large and ever growing catalog that is the place to go for something off the beaten track. This is one to watch and experience.