Window Watching

Just finished watching the restored version of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window and it is absolutely magnificent!

Jeff is a globetrotting photographer who breaks his leg on assignment, confining him to a wheelchair for weeks on end with only the everyday goings-on of his neighbors to keep him company. Played by the wonderful James Stewart, Jeff is somewhat of a voyeur, and his nurse Stella warns him that it's not polite to watch other people with such intensity.

If Jeff had found himself in this era, however, he didn't have to use his binoculars to find out what his neighbors are up to. He only needs to go on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to know where his colleagues were last night or what his neighbors ate for breakfast. I'm not sure if that's very good or very bad.

What made the film even more watchable, apart from the way Hitchcock built the mystery angle, was Grace Kelly, who played Jeff's doting girlfriend Lisa. I just fell in love with her in this film. She has this illuminating presence when she goes onscreen that you can't help but watch her. It's a wonder that Jeff was sometimes oblivious to her charms. But then again, Jeff is afraid of commitment, so it was par for the course.

I have a couple of other "old" movies that I'm scheduled to watch, and I can't wait to see them all. Thanks D!