Open Windows Review (Toronto After Dark) (1 Viewer)

Wood plays Nick Chambers, an ardent admirer of B-movie star Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey) and owner and operator of the fan site jillgoddard-caught.com. After winning a contest to have dinner with Jill, Nick arrives in his hotel room only to be told she's cancelled their meeting. However, the man who informs him — the mysterious Mr. Chord (Neil Maskell) — offers Nick something much more tantalizing instead: the opportunity to take an exclusive peek into Jill's private life, by spying on her through her cellphone. Nick lets his curiosity get the better of him, but when the situation escalates into kidnapping, he finds himself racing to save Jill's life. Soon, what started out as just fun and games on a computer screen becomes all too real.The narrative structure is intriguing, and Vigalondo is more than game for exploring its potential as a commentary on society's obsession with technology and celebrity. But while the film starts out promisingly enough, its overly ambitious third act — filled with one too many twists and turns — threatens to derail what could have otherwise been a streamlined thriller. The movie also suffers from a low-budget visual aesthetic, often resembling live-action cutscenes from a mid-nineties videogame. Still, the story itself functions well enough as post-modern suspense with unexpected sci-fi overtones. Just approach Open Windows with an open mind, or else resist the urge to walk out and close the theater door behind you.

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