Disturbia (2007)
Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007
Directed by: D.J. Caruso
Written By: Christopher B. Landon
Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Sarah Roemer, Carrie-Anne Moss, David Morse, & Aaron Yoo
Runtime: 105 min.
Rating: PG-13
Trailer
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: a young man confined to his apartment spends his days spying on his neighbours and uncovering a teeming carnal underbelly of disreputable social affairs, including sexual improprieties and murder. I would like to think that most people who have seen Disturbia, have seen, if not heard of, the Hitchcock masterpiece, Rear Window, but considering the demographic D. J. Caruso’s film panders to, my thinking is wrongheaded. For a movie purporting to deal with adolescent voyeurism, Disturbia is a half-assed Hitchcock-by-way-of-De Palma- rip-off that is disinterested, or, more likely, too afraid, in examining the plot’s obvious psychological voyeuristic conceits. By removing any hint of the psychological implications Shia Lebouf’s character goes through as a result of his voyeurism, the film is never allowed to reach an emotional climax beyond the obvious plot contrivances – something Rear Window achieved and the reason why it’s still relevant. Lebouf’s character, Kale, is a troubled teen relegated to wearing a tracking device on his ankle after being sentenced to a three-month house arrest for punching his high-school Spanish teacher in the face. Isolated in his suburban fortress of solitude and without adequate parental supervision by his busy, single mother (Carrie-Anne Moss), Kale takes up voyeurism – a right of passage for any undersexed, hormonal and angst-ridden teenager with nothing to do – and in the process begins to suspect his next door neighbour, Mr. Turner (a ridiculous but entertaining David Morse), of being a successful, well-to-do serial killer. This, of course, takes a while to get to. D. J. Caruso and the screenwriters spend some time during the second act allowing Kale’s voyeurism to be fleshed out, either by watching his neighbours having affairs, taking in illicit entertainment, parental neglect, and the raison d’etre of any burgeoning voyeur: the attractive girl-next-door with the propensity for provocative afternoon backyard swimming. It is with the Kale’s infatuation with Ashley (Sarah Roemer), as well as the neighbourhood, where Disturbia hints at character and succeeds in building interesting suspense. Unfortunately, the Peeping Tom through line is quickly abandoned as soon as the murder mystery is introduced, resulting in scenes of half-baked, Hardy Boys-style meddling and snooping. What exactly does Kale’s voyeurism have to do with the rest of the movie after Mr. Turner is suspected of being the killer? Not a whole hell of a lot, and by the end, Disturbia carelessly succumbs to the conventional slasher genre finale, involving a knife-wielding maniac and a heroic teenager. Yawn.
Richard X
© Cinephile Magazine, 2007
