The Bedroom Window (1987) User Reviews

Neat Hitchcock-type thriller with unconvincing twists...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 17 October 2006]

This is the kind of thriller you'd expect Alfred Hitchcock to do with someone like James Stewart or Cary Grant as everyman.

Here we have STEVE GUTTENBERG as the man in big trouble after witnessing a murder from his lover's bedroom window. He's having an affair with the boss' wife and nobly tells her that he'll give details of the assailant (which she saw) to keep their affair hidden from her husband. So far, so good. The story is stylishly photographed with the appropriate menacing mood and atmosphere.

But he soon becomes the man suspected of the crime and it's from that point on that the plot contrivances become just a little too implausible, straining credibility until the very suspenseful ending. Too bad. Otherwise, it's a tricky piece of entertainment and well worth watching.

ISABELLE HUPPERT has a little trouble getting her lines across with her French accent being quite a handicap but she's beautiful to look at. ELIZABETH McGOVERN does a nice job as Guttenberg's partner in finding the real killer.

It moves quickly under writer/director CURTIS HANSON's direction. While many consider it "counterfeit Hitchcock", it's still worth a look.

Don't take it too seriously - just enjoy!

[Greensleeves · 5/10 · 24 August 2007]

This thriller would have made a great Hitchcock movie. As it stands, it's not too bad but it could have been so much better. However, any film that can engage the attention for nearly two hours must have something going for it and this does have an intriguing story line. It also has the advantage of a good cast, Steve Guttenberg is his usual affable self doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, Elizabeth McGovern brings a wonderful hard edge to her performance and Isabelle Huppert is beautiful but nasty. Brad Greenquist manages to imbue his role with a sinister quality without saying barely a word. The plot doesn't really hold up unfortunately and there are plenty of scenes that stretch credulity just too far. However if you are prepared to accept the film on just a surface level you will find yourself nicely entertained.

Well Worth a Look

[ndrejaj1969 · 7/10 · 3 March 2002]

Directed by future phenom Curtis (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) Hanson, THE BEDROOM WINDOW is an elegant Hitchcock homage, and an example of good 1980s moviemaking. Its got a certain vibe, thanks to terrific cinematography by the great Gilbert Taylor, production design by Ron Foreman, and expert direction by Hanson. REAR WINDOW it ain't, but this jazzy film is still worth a look. Lighten up folks!

Great Suspense Film

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 1 June 2007]

Steve Guttenberg, (Terry Lambert) plays the role as a guy who gets himself involved with a sexual romance with his boss's wife and while they are making out in bed, there is a scream from a woman outside their window. The woman goes to the window naked and observes a woman being attacked and identifies the rapist and tells her lover all about it. Terry decides to report the incident to the police and says that he observed the entire sexual assault because he doesn't want his boss to find out about his affair with his wife. Elizabeth McGovern, (Denise) is the woman who is attacked and she gets herself deeply involved with Terry Lambert and she even goes to bed with him. There is plenty of twists and turns to this mystery and I cannot go into more details without giving away some very dark secrets to this film. This is a good film and well worth spending your time to watch. Enjoy.

An Enjoyable & Well Paced Psychological Thriller

[seymourblack-1 · 7/10 · 16 April 2011]

"The Bedroom Window" is an entertaining and well paced psychological thriller that's intriguing throughout and also successful in generating moments of real tension, especially towards the latter part of the film. Made ten years before Curtis Hanson's best movie (L.A.Confidential), this offering is distinctly Hitchcockian with components such as "the wrong man theme", "the disguise motif" and similarities to "Rear Window" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much". The plot contains a number of interesting twists and Hanson (who also wrote the screenplay based on Anne Holden's novel "The Witnesses") directs the action with great skill and subtlety and in the process creates a rather ominous atmosphere.

Baltimore businessman Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg) is having an affair with Sylvia Wentworth (Isabelle Huppert) who happens to be his boss' wife. One night after a company party, they go to Terry's apartment together and sometime during the early hours of the morning, Terry goes to the bathroom and Sylvia is attracted to the window when she hears screams outside. She sees a young woman being attacked by a red haired man who runs away as soon as he realises that he's being watched.

When the couple learn that another woman has been attacked and murdered a short distance away, they want to tell the police what they saw in the hope that the culprit will be arrested. Sylvia, however, doesn't want to be directly involved because doing so would threaten her marriage and jeopardise Terry's job.

Terry decides to report what they know to the police and pretends that he'd seen the attack. After giving a statement, he attends a line-up of apparent suspects but is unable to make an accurate identification for obvious reasons. At the line-up, the victim of the attack, Denise (Elizabeth McGovern), is also unable to identify her attacker. Terry's convinced from Sylvia's description that the attacker is a man called Henderson (Brad Greenquist) who he then starts to follow and keep under surveillance.

Later, when Henderson is brought to trial, his defence attorney easily discredits Terry's testimony and because he is being prompted in court by Sylvia, it becomes clear to both Henderson and Denise that Terry didn't actually witness the attack. Henderson is acquitted and it isn't long before Terry becomes the police's new suspect. He then joins forces with Denise who believes in his innocence and together they embark on a plan to prove the guilt of the real killer.

Terry seems confident and capable in his workplace and is a good natured guy who's anxious to do the right thing. He's also incredibly naive as he underestimates the professionalism of the police and the defence attorney and repeatedly gets out of his depth and puts himself in great danger. Steve Guttenberg conveys his character's gullibility convincingly and frequently looks as if he doesn't understand the seriousness of what's happening or the level of danger to which he's exposing himself.

Sylvia is a cold character whose only concerns are to look after her own interests and Isabelle Huppert looks suitably controlled and calculating in her role. Elizabeth McGovern is particularly good in portraying Denise's amusing combination of toughness and warmth as she falls for Terry and also takes part in a very dangerous scheme to reel in the killer.

Ultimately this is an enjoyable movie with a great set up, a number of nice twists and a good deal of suspense.

Entertaining, so nothing else matters ................

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 28 January 2010]

Steve Guttenberg is a real surprise here, playing the innocent suspected of being a killer. His transformation to hero type is not always believable, but his performance is earnest. If you throw out the somewhat of a stretch ending, you are left with a twisty thriller that delivers strong entertainment value. The movie is quite tense at times, and the Baltimore filming location works. I put this film in the same category as movies like "Red Rock West" and "Clay Pigeons". All three have a mostly believable script, competent acting, and most importantly, all three are very entertaining. "The Bedroom Window" is recommended of it's type. - MERK

Close The Window Please

[Lechuguilla · 28 September 2007]

A young man named Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg) has a romantic fling with his bosses' wife. With their bedroom "activities" in progress, an outside assault occurs that gets Lambert involved, ultimately in murder.

The film's underlying "all for love" theme is not really credible. Plot contrivances, along with incredulous coincidences and improbable timing imply a screenplay that was not well thought out. Further, the lead role in this film calls for a serious actor who can express some feeling. "Police Academy" Guttenberg, boyish and goofy looking, does not lend credibility to the role. That, combined with a dubious script closes any window of believability in this overwrought thriller. And that's too bad because "The Bedroom Window" does present a fairly engaging noir look, as a result of some great lighting and camera work. Production design is also quite good.

The film's visual style is about all I can recommend in the way of interest. The ending is rather melodramatic, and includes some unintentional humor in some scenes that involve a man in a phone booth.

Hitchcock fans will love this

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 25 August 2007]

This was a fascinating thriller in the style of Alfred Hitchcock.

Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg) is having an affair with his boss' wife (Isabelle Huppert) and she sees an assault while looking out the window. He wants to do the right thing so he informs the police that he saw it, getting the details from her.

Things fall apart and both the rapist (Brad Greenquist) and the attacked (Elizabeth McGovern) know he is lying, and soon the police are after him for the rape/murders.

Things definitely get exciting as he tries to clear his name and catch the real killer (like OJ?).

It ends as expected, but not before some really tense moments. Really worth watching.

Great Thriller

[BDeWittP · 9/10 · 29 September 2005]

Sometimes, people do the wrong thing, for a good reason. This isn't always right, but it's understandable. I think this is the premise for The Bedroom Window. People are human, and sometimes irrational behavior leads to something that can get more serious than originally anticipated.

That is exactly what happens in this movie. Terry Lambert, played by Steve Guttenberg in what may just be his best performance, is a good man whose judgment isn't always the greatest. Terry is a business executive who makes the unwise decision of having an affair with his boss's wife, a beautiful french woman named Sylvia. One night at his apartment, she witnesses a young man assaulting a female. Obviously, she cannot go forward. Later, after learning of a different female being murdered near the scene that same night, he decides he'll go forward and report that he was the witness. "It's my apartment, my bedroom window," he says in an attempt to justify the dishonesty.

The only problem, which proves to be a damaging blow, is that nothing can be proved about the murder. So, the only chance to convict the assailant is to prosecute on the assault case. The logic being it at least gives the authorities a chance to put the killer away to prevent him from hurting anyone else, while still hoping to find evidence connecting him to the murder. So Terry must testify during the trial that he witnessed the assault. In a brilliant scene, the defendant's attorney carves him up like an overcooked turkey, making it very clear that Terry is lying, but not why.

As the authorities become suspicious of Terry, he begins to bond, through shared experience, with Denise, the woman who was assaulted outside his apartment. She later figures out that Sylvia, and not Terry, saw the murder. "The question isn't What am I going to do? It's what are you going to do? And what is she going to do?," she says harshly and angrily, but not at all incorrectly. They both later discover, at least partially, the killer's motives, and agree that the only way to implicate him, and clear Terry, is to trap him and catch him in the act.

Steve Guttenberg is magnificent as the scared, confused, and conscientious Terry. Elizabeth McGovern and Isabelle Huppert are equally as good as the women who care about him, but are unsure how to figure him out, or what to do. McGovern shows her very good acting ability with non-verbals that demonstrate clearly that she knows something isn't right about Terry through her facial expressions and the looks in her eyes. The cast of this movie work together like a well-oiled machine, and the story may not have been as compelling had it not been for the convincing actors.

This is writing at its best, top notch acting, and filmmaking on a master scale. The movie is so well-made that we love the story, understand the characters and their situations, and just can't wait to see what happens next. This movie is a classic, and also a great thriller. Watch it!

You're either a romantic fool or you're an idiot!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 9 July 2013]

The Bedroom Window is directed by Curtis Hanson who also adapts the screenplay from the novel The Witnesses written by Anne Holden. It stars Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, Isabelle Huppert, Brad Greenquist and Paul Shenar. Music is by Patrick Gleeson and Michael Shrieve and cinematography by Gilbert Taylor.

Terry Lambert (Guttenberg) is having an affair with his boss' wife Sylvia Wentworth (Huppert). Together one night at Terry's apartment, Sylvia witnesses from the bedroom window an attack on Denise (McGovern) and scares off the assailant. Not wishing to expose her affair with Terry, she refuses to report what she saw, instead allowing Terry to come forward to help the police finger the man who Sylvia saw by pretending it was he who witnessed the crime. But when Terry's evidence comes under scrutiny he finds himself the focus of the police search for the rapist and murderer at large...

With shades of Hitchcock and De Palma, The Bedroom Window is an effective neo-noir like thriller. Guttenberg's protagonist begins to pay severely for his illicit dalliances as he lands in a world quickly spinning out of his control. Duped and a victim of circumstance, this law abiding citizen just wants to do the right thing. This sets up a narrative that isn't shy to toy with audience expectations, keeping suspense high as the wronged man - aided by a spunky femme - sets about proving his innocence and ensuring the guilty man, Henderson (Grenquist) (who we know about from the off) is brought to justice. A couple of twists keep things perky, where even though some contrived events ask a lot of the audience, film never drifts into the mundane.

Hanson would strike a considerable chord with the neo-noir faithful when he brought L.A. Confidential to the screen in 1997. Here, much like with Bad Influence (1990), the director hones his skills as a visualist. The Baltimore locations are often shaded as being places of possible peril, while Gilbert Taylor's photography neatly blends golden promise in daytime shots with shadowy menace at night. Acting performances are hit and miss. Guttenberg surprisingly is effective in a serious role, mainly because it fits the character to have an easy going guy spun into disarray. Huppert struggles as the femme fatale by giving a one dimensional turn, but McGovern lights up the screen with poise and purpose and saves the film from taking a trip up average street in the final third. As for Greenquist? Visually scary and Hanson wisely keeps him as a silent assassin type.

Those contrivances, a dated feel and the valid charges of it being copyist have kept it from essential viewing status. But there is still a strong thriller in the mix and for anyone interested in Hanson's work this is a good addition to your required viewing list. 7/10

The stupidity is rife!

[bankcello · 5/10 · 30 March 2008]

I was surprised to see the very favorable comments about this movie. There is no need for me to recapitulate the plot since many others have done so.

I was shocked by how stupidly the characters of Terry and Denise are. Since they are the central people in the film, stupidity is not what we want from them.

The plot is thin, but what Terry does with the situation beggars belief. I know that many movies depend of the main characters not doing what any reasonably intelligent and sane person would do in similar circumstances, but for some reason I found that in this movie the stupidity was too much to take.

I will admit that I watched to to the end (on television), but I can't say that I would have been unhappy about the main characters coming to a bad end. They would have earned it.

Excellent overlooked Thriller with the forgotten Steve Guttenberg

[Emaisie39 · 8/10 · 20 September 2007]

Although he rarely gets respect from the critics, Steve Guttenberg was quite a big film star in the 1980's. He made his first impression as a pudgy teenager who gets killed by Gregory Peck in the excellent "Boys From Brazil"(1978). The classic "Diner"(MGM,1982) established him as a fine actor and in "Police Academy"(1984) he was suddenly a buff leading man in a critically maligned yet audience loved box office blockbuster. He was now a "STAR" and the smash hits kept coming: several "Police Academy" sequels, "Short Circuit"(1985) and its sequel, the Oscar-winning classic Ron Howard's "Coccoon"(Universal, 1985) whose pool scene established him as a minor sex symbol, and finally the massive blockbuster "Three Men and a Baby"(Disney, 1987). Director/writer Curtis Hanson then cast him in the excellent Hitchcockian thriller "The Bedroom Window"(1987) alongside another young star of the time Elizabeth McGovern who had made a major impact in "Ragtime"(Paramount, 1981). Now he was a full-fledged star of a Top "A" quality film. This excellent thriller will keep you glued to screen. Hanson's taut direction, the gorgeous cinematography, and the excellent cast will hold your attention. The script has a couple holes but it is still very good. And Guttenberg who had a goofy face and could look geeky if not photographed carefully looks great so this should have been another feather in his cap. However this film tanked. Why I will never know. After this he would have one more big hit with "Three Men and a Little Lady"(Disney, 1990) and that was it. His career never recovered. Nonetheless his best films are definitely worth a look and "The Bedroom Window" is certainly among his best.

Rear Window in Reverse

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 17 September 2013]

Baltimore architect Steve Guttenberg (as Terrance "Terry" Lambert) quickly hides a former bedmate's bra to prepare for a sexual visit from French blonde Isabelle Huppert (as Sylvia), who happens to be his boss' wife. The risky encounter is satisfying for both players. After copulating, Mr. Guttenberg shows off his buttocks while rising to visit the bathroom. Upon hearing a scream from outside the window, Ms. Huppert likewise shows her cheeky behind. The scream turns out to be barmaid Elizabeth McGovern (as Denise Connelly), assaulted by red-haired rapist-murderer Brad Greenquist (as Chris Henderson)...

Through "The Bedroom Window", Huppert gets a good look at the perpetrator. But she cannot go to the police because husband Paul Shenar (as Collin Wentworth) would discover her affair with Guttenberg. To solve the problem and help catch the criminal, they decide Guttenberg will claim he saw the attack and gives the police Huppert's description. Of course, things don't go according to plan...

This is an enjoyable homage to Alfred Hitchcock's "Rear Window" (1954) and others, with director Curtis Hanson, photographer Gilbert Taylor and Guttenberg contributing great flair. The segment visualizing Guttenberg's hearsay description of a murder could have been dropped, and the courtroom sequence reconsidered - but a few missteps do not detract from "The Bedroom Window" being a consistently engaging, entertaining and occasionally exciting thriller.

******* The Bedroom Window (1/16/87) Curtis Hanson ~ Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, Isabelle Huppert, Brad Greenquist

Mediocre Mystery Thriller

[romanorum1 · 5/10 · 28 August 2015]

Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenburg) is having an affair with Sylvia Wentworth (Isabelle Huppert), who just happens to be married to his boss Collin (Paul Shenar). Late one night (long after midnight) Sylvia witnesses a red-headed man assaulting a young woman outside of Terry's bedroom window. Trying to do the right thing – without implicating Sylvia's faithlessness – Terry calls the Baltimore police. He provides the two detectives who visit him (Quirke = Carl Lumlee, Jessup = Frederick Coffin) the assailant's description as provided by Sylvia. But it is not smooth sailing for Terry, as he obviously cannot identify the suspect at the police line-up in the presence of the victim Denise Connolly (Elizabeth McGovern). On a hunch, Terry follows one of the suspects, Carl Henderson (Brad Greenquist) to his workplace at the Patapsco Shipyard. After that, he tails Henderson to the Fells Point Saloon, where an active and wild blonde (Sara Carlson) dances on tables and gets everyone's attention. By the next day the sexy blonde is dead. A serial rapist- murderer is on the loose.

Terry returns to the police headquarters and makes a statement to help the lawmen obtain a search warrant on Henderson. But it seems that no one remembered Henderson at the bar, as he remained in the background drinking a beer all alone. Furthermore, nothing incriminating was found at Henderson's place – no fingerprints, no blood samples, no fibers. There is no proof that Henderson is a rapist/murderer. But at least there is the assault charge as reported by Terry that will drag Henderson in court and probably put him behind bars for a while.

At court we finally discover that Terry wears contact lenses. Yikes! What was he thinking when he called the police in the first place? Didn't Sylvia know this fact? Of course his testimony doesn't hold up, despite the attempt of Sylvia (as a spectator) to coach him. The case is dismissed for insufficient evidence and the police are ticked off. What Terry does not know is that Sylvia's feeble attempt at coaching was noticed by both the victim, Denise, and the suspect, Henderson.

Returning to his apartment, Terry is approached by a woman – a neighbor – who tells him detectives came by and asked questions about him. Some of what she said contradicted some of Terry's previous statements. Then Denise stops by and tells Terry that she saw Sylvia's actions in the courtroom. Denise was not amused. Meanwhile police suspicion has focused on Terry, who is in a dilemma, while Sylvia, who was of no help, says goodbye. She (sort of) confesses to her husband, Collin, about her affair and he forgives her. At a formal ballet, in which the principals in the movie attend, Henderson stabs Sylvia to death to remove a potential witness against him. How Henderson knew she was there is beyond understanding. Of course, people in attendance believe that Terry is the assailant, so he flees. He ends up in Denise's apartment, and she decides to help him. They talk a good deal and work out a single-minded scheme to trap Henderson.

They call the detectives and tail Henderson to Edgar's Solid Gold, a dive. Denise will be a lure to smoke out the murderer. You just know something will not go as planned. It gets a little ridiculous, and there are strange coincidences that pop up. To name just two: (1) the large beer truck delivering late at night that obscures vision and (2) the dim-wit who just happens to hog the telephone booth at the worst possible time. In the end there is a wild fight between the protagonist and the antagonist.

Steve Guttenburg is no Jimmy Stewart, and Isabelle Huppert is no Grace Kelly. Furthermore, Huppert's character is totally unlikeable because of her adultery, selfishness, and detachment. There is nice on- location shooting in Baltimore (also, Wilmington and Winston-Salem) and we are spared any gory details about the murders. But because the script has holes, the intriguing main premise degenerates into a credibility problem. This feature is best watched only on a surface level.

Good premise, mixed results

[Wizard-8 · 18 June 2012]

If Alfred Hitchcock had still been alive and making movies when "The Bedroom Window" project had been green-lit by the studio, I'm sure he would have been offered the job as director. Indeed, the premise of the movie fits comfortable with many of the movies he made. However, I am pretty sure the Master of Suspense would have not only insisted on the script being rewritten, he would have insisted on someone else being in the lead. The script should have been a lot tighter; the movie runs on much longer than it should have. Also, the characters in the movie make a lot of stupid decisions that lengthen the crisis, when characters of even average intelligence would have done a lot smarter things. And while Steve Guttenberg has been okay in other movies, here he is extremely miscast. His performance just adds to the air of dumbness that surrounds his character.

In fairness, while the movie is stretched out, I can't say that there are any boring sections anywhere. And there are some well-executed moments that I think Hitchcock would have approved of. Still, I don't think this is a movie to actively seek out - wait until it crosses your path, preferably as a free screening.

Half-cocked Hitchcock, with intriguing ideas and frustrating lapses...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 14 December 2006]

Hitchcock wannabe from writer-director Curtis Hanson, adapting Anne Holden's novel "The Witnesses", about an extramarital affair that hits a snag when the married woman sees an attack happen on the street from her lover's bedroom window. She feels the need to report the crime but doesn't want to give herself away, so the boyfriend reports it to the police instead--using her description as his eyewitness account. Terrific premise for a pulpy thriller, but Hanson is too 'clean' for his own good; utilizing a bland, TV cop drama style--which holds the suspense in check-- Hanson is far too square for the milieu (this movie could really use a little grit or sleaze, like in a '40s detective magazine). Hanson's screenplay has the ingredients for a finely-wrought thriller but, though his plot is absorbing, the picture gets more and more absurd as it progresses. Viewers who find themselves hooked right away probably won't mind much, and Elizabeth McGovern gives her best performance to date as the mugging victim. **1/2 from ****

Not perfect,but entertaining enough.

[Caz1964 · 7/10 · 23 October 2006]

Quite a good thriller starring Steve Guttenberg as a man caught in a dilemma when his lover played by Isobel Huppert witnesses an attack on a local woman through his bedroom window.The attacker has already killed one girl,and later on in the film goes on to kill another.Huppert will not report the attack she saw to the police through fear of jeopardising her marriage,as her husband is Guttenbergs boss.So instead he decides to do the right thing and report the attack himself and make out it was he who was the witness.This seems a simple idea that cant go wrong,but unfortunately it does.When under cross-examination in court there are just too many facts he is presented with which make it obvious that he did not witness any attack.The police then become suspicious of him,for lieing.The real killer then goes after his lover Huppert,who has now told Guttenberg that his on his own and will have to sort it out alone.Guttenberg then becomes involved with the girl who was attacked and together they plan to trap the killer.And of course they eventually do.This film is good entertainment and works mainly because it doesn't have the usual action hero actor in the lead role,Guttenberg who is usually in comedies gives the thriller a lighter touch,and makes his character likable.However the film does have its flaws,and the biggest one for me,is that the killer does look and act to obviously sinister,and has distinctive red hair,and yet he manages to walk into bars stalk women murder them and go unnoticed,i mean,if you knew there was a psychopath on the loose and there's this sinister hostile looking man hanging around,wouldn't people find him the obvious suspect.Its almost like watching a pantomime villain where the audience is saying there he is look behind you and the other actors are acting oblivious. But then i suppose it is just a film,its worth a watch anyway.

A pretty good thriller for the first hour and a half

[steiner-sam · 6/10 · 22 March 2023]

It's a thriller set in Baltimore, Maryland, in the 1980s. It's based on the 1971 novel, "The Witnesses," by Anne Holden. It follows a young executive who, amid an affair with his boss's wife, winds up under suspicion for three murders.

Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg) is an executive in a construction company owned by Collin Wentworth (Paul Shenar). Terry has had the hots for Collin's wife, Sylvia (Isabelle Huppert), and convinces her to leave a party early and come to his place. After their tryst, he goes to the bathroom. Sylvia hears screaming outside and, from the bedroom window, witnesses a man brutally assaulting a woman. The man runs away when he sees Sylvia. Unfortunately, another young woman is murdered nearby that same evening. To protect their relationship, Terry goes to the police claiming to have been the witness to the assault from the window. He meets the assault victim, Denise (Elizabeth McGovern), at a lineup. From Sylvia's description, Terry thinks he recognizes the villain in the lineup, Chris Henderson (Brad Greenquist), but is uncertain.

During the rest of the film, Terry begins to follow Henderson. Through the complex storyline, the police begin to suspect Terry of two murders because they know he has lied to them, though they're not clear about what. A final murder forces Terry and Denise to try to set a trap for the killer, and the film's climax reveals how that effort went.

"The Bedroom Window" is a pretty good thriller for the first hour and a half. But, unfortunately, the final half-hour includes plot sequences that seriously detract from the believability of the ending.

Many reviewers perceive a lack of chemistry between Guttenberg and Huppert. I had no issue with this, considering Huppert's character was naturally manipulative and self-serving. McGovern's role suffers from some of the silly script at the film's end, but she is effective through the trial scenes. Shenar's character was a little too clueless.

Great in parts, dumb in others

[neil-douglas2010 · 7/10 · 10 July 2023]

Femme Fatale Isabelle Huppert witnesses an attempted murder from a bedroom window. Trouble is she's been sleeping with her husband friend and co worker. Huppert plays Sylvia, who gets colder as the film goes on, Steve Guttenberg plays Terry, a bit dim, who's been sleeping with her. She sees the assault but scared of the trouble it would cause her Terry stupidly says that he saw the assault. The victim is Denise (Elizabeth McGovern), definitely the most sensible of the cast, looikng for the guy with the red hair and the tendency of murdering women who turn him on. At times very good it's only let down at tomes by it's rather silly plot, shame as McGovern is very good .

Well worked and entertaining thriller

[The_Void · 8/10 · 8 June 2009]

The Bedroom Window is one of those films you can just stick on to blow the cobwebs away when you're tired. It's not life-affirming or magnificent; but it's well constructed and a lot of fun to watch. The film is often compared to Hitchcock, and that's mostly owing to the central plot which clearly takes influence from Rear Window, although director Curtis Hanson does occasionally implement a Hitchcock-like style during the rest of the film. It is not, however, comparable to the films Brian De Palma made in the seventies and eighties. The film focuses on a man named Terry Lambert. Terry is having an affair with Sylvia; his boss' wife. Whilst at his apartment one night, Sylvia spots a man being attacked out of the window. The next morning, another girl turns up dead and Terry, thinking the two incidents may be related, decides to go to the police and tell them that he witnessed the attack. However, things soon start to spiral out of control when Sylvia will have nothing to do with it for fear of the affair being exposed, and the police begin suspecting Terry.

Steve Guttenberg; an actor often not taken seriously because of his ties to the Police Academy series, takes the lead role and does surprisingly well with it. Guttenberg cuts a likable figure who is easy to root for, and that is important in a film like this. The story moves well throughout; and although I initially felt that almost two hours was too long for a film like this; the time is well used and the film flies by. The Bedroom Window is based on a novel by Anne Holden; and directed by Curtis Hanson; the talented director of the 1997 masterpiece L.A. Confidential. Hanson's direction is assured and he does a good job of telling the story. The support cast is decent too; the casting of Isabelle Hupert is a bit of a surprise considering most of her previous films were made in her native France; but Elizabeth McGovern is a good choice as the victim of the attack towards the start. The first two thirds of the film are rather subdued; and so it's a bit of a surprise when the film explodes into life for the final half hour. However, the change works well and the payoff is worth it.

Much better than expected

[mpf101 · 7/10 · 8 July 2021]

Look, the 80's were not good for women's clothes, men's hair, or Hollywood films. But that's no excuse for the hate dumped on this solid film. Ridiculous plot twists? Sure, but that applies to North By Northwest and many other Hitchcock masterpieces. Suspend disbelief, and you can settle into an engaging story that progressively ratchets up the tension, well filmed with interesting set design and without too many bad lighting choices. The film is marred by 80's-style acting, however. Gutenberg is amiably shallow throughout, certainly no Jimmy Stewart or Cary Grant. Likewise, McGovern is no Kim Novak. And unfortunately Huppert phoned it in. Still, this was a satisfying way to spend a couple of hours. Curtis Hanson deserves respect.

Counterfeit Hitchcock

[DennisLittrell · 5/10 · 26 March 2000]

Start with a shaky premise, add some unlikely plot twists, some suspense, and a whole bunch of stupidity and what do you have? You have counterfeit Hitchcock. Well, at least the title is close, although The Bedroom Window (1987) is not anything near as interesting as, say, Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954).

I particularly did not like the far-fetched scheme that Terry and Denise came up with at the end to entrap the psycho. And Terry's insistence on that phone booth and only that phone booth from which to call the cops was silly and unnecessary. And his snatching of the police car, ditto.

Not to belabor the stupidities, but when only the defense attorney knows that Lambert wears contacts-not the prosecution, not Sylvia, apparently not himself, and certainly the audience wasn't clued in-then you've got Hitchcock rolling over in his grave as this very important bit of plot knowledge is exposed at the last moment. Director Curtis Hanson should know better. I hope he really did plant the contact lenses somewhere early on as Hitchcock would have, and I just missed them.

Worse offense though was making it appear even at the end of the movie that Terry still wasn't attracted to Denise, even though she was throwing herself at him. Shame on you, Curtis Hanson. Hitchcock would never do that. Not only don't you resolve your subplot, you offend those in your audience who identified with your heroine.

Nonetheless this is not a bad movie. Steve Guttenberg, while no James Stewart (or Cary Grant, for that matter) is agreeable as Terry Lambert, a kind of benign ladies man who seduces his boss's wife, Sylvia, played by the delicate French beauty, Isabelle Huppert. He learns that she was the wrong girl. The right girl is of course Elizabeth McGovern (Denise) although I would prefer it the other way around.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

Brilliant film !

[BethH24 · 10/10 · 19 September 2007]

The bedroom window is a brilliant Hitchcock style thriller.Brad Greenquist is excellent as Henderson.He has an innocent look with some of his expressions that can make other people think that he doesn't look like the kind of person who would kill,but he quietly gives terrifying looks as well.It is amazing that he hardly speaks in the film,and yet gives such a powerful performance.I liked his look in the film,with his red hair and pale skin.I would like to see more of Brad's films,as this is the only film i have seen him in so far. Steve Guttenberg also gives a good performance as Terry Lambert.Elizabeth McGovern gives a very emotional performance as the victim,Denise,and Isabelle Hubert plays Terry's lover,Silvia,very well too.

* SPOILER *

I haven't seen many thrillers,especially in recent films,where there hasn't been any graphic,gory,and violent scenes to show the killings.There are no scenes like that in this film,it just mentions the killings but doesn't actually show them.The only killing it shows is of sylvia,but you only see her after she has been killed.The film is just full of suspense.I love that it is an old fashioned style thriller too.I think its much better than other thrillers that are around today.I don't think thrillers need to be graphic and violent. I also love the soundtrack to this film.I haven't seen it available to buy anywhere.I would love to buy it

I give this film 10/10 for amazing performances from superb actors,an interesting story and a great soundtrack

Entertaining enough thriller; comes undone if you pay too close attention to the plot.

[barnabyrudge · 6/10 · 5 September 2007]

The Bedroom Window is a decent thriller based on a novel by Anne Holden. This adaptation to the screen is written and directed by Curtis Hanson who, of course, would later go on to make the brilliant L.A. Confidential. The film has a fairly Hitchcockian story line, and even apes Hitchcock's favourite theme of an innocent man circumstantially framed for a crime he didn't commit. However, Hitch always went to great lengths to ensure his stories were logical (in North By Northwest, for example, he and script-writer Ernest Lehmann spent a year getting the credibility of the screenplay just right). In The Bedroom Window there are just too many plot holes, too many moments that defy plausibility, and therefore the film cannot be seriously likened in quality to a Hitchcock movie. That's not to say it doesn't have enjoyable features along the way.

Terry Lambert (Steve Guttenberg) has an affair with his boss's wife Sylvia Wentworth (Isabelle Huppert). While the pair of them are making love, they hear a disturbance outside the bedroom window. Sylvia goes to the window to see what is going on and witnesses a nasty thug assaulting a young woman. Later the same night, another woman is killed by the same thug. Terry knows that the police need to be informed about the crime but is worried that if Sylvia goes forward with her story, the truth of her sexual infidelity will get out and ruin her marriage. So, in an attempt to nail the thug but protect his lover, he tells the police that HE saw the attack. Alas, Terry's lies are quickly exposed in court and he inadvertently implicates himself as the attacker. Terry gets to know the woman who was originally assaulted outside the bedroom window, Denise Connally (Elizabeth McGovern), and she too realises that he has been lying about what saw. However, she decides that he has at least done the wrong thing for the right reasons and gives him a chance to make amends. Together they plan to trap the real thug, Carl Henderson (Brad Greenquist), by having Denise use herself as bait to lure him into a trap. But the plan is fraught with danger, and things don't go according to plan….

It is unusual to find Guttenberg is a serious role, and he struggles to shake his comic image. His mannerisms and personality seem too laid back for a guy who has been adulterous with his boss's wife, lied in court, and faces suspicion for serious crimes. The other actors fare better, despite the fact that many of their characters act and speak in a less than believable manner throughout the film. The Bedroom Window does succeed in other departments, though. Its suspense is quite nicely maintained, and veteran photographer Gilbert Taylor (of Star Wars fame) shoots the film with a nice feel for a moody night-time atmosphere. This is one of those films that is best enjoyed purely on a surface level – if you start scratching the surface, the flaws and discrepancies become rather obvious. But if you just watch it with your brain in neutral it passes the time pleasantly enough.

Pallid Hitchcock Dupe.

[rmax304823 · 4/10 · 21 August 2007]

An innocent man (Steve Guttenberg) has a one-night stand with his boss's wife (Isabelle Huppert). She spots a woman (Elizabeth McGovern) being attacked outside but she can't call the cops because it would blow her marriage to Gutenberg's boss (Paul Shenar). So Guttenberg, honest citizen that he is, when he discovers that another woman was attacked and killed nearby only half an hour later, comes forward and claims to have witnessed the first attack, merely intending to pass on the information given to him by Huppert. Well -- never bear false witness against thy neighbor, as they say.

This simple attempt to help the police nab a murderer turns rapidly twisted. When he meets the first near-victim, McGovern, she immediately twigs to what happened, but agrees to keep quiet for the moment. But then Guttenberg finds himself in court, supposed to identify the heavy (Greenquist) and we discover through cross-examination that he is NEAR-SIGHTED and can't identify objects at a distance, let alone faces. (Not that it matters because, after all, he never saw the creep in the first place.) The plot gets practically labyrinthine. Guttenberg winds up the chief suspect when Huppert is murdered too.

He barely escapes arrest and holes up with the now-sympathetic McGovern. Guttenberg and McGovern hatch a plan to trap the murderer. She will serve as bait. They'll follow the flagitious creep into one of his seedy haunt and McGovern will act like the doxy that the murderer is attracted to, just to get him to try to kill her. But everything will be okay, see, because not only will Guttenberg keep a close watch on her, and not only will he alert the police a few minutes after she enters this dive, but she will keep a can of mace handy -- just in case.

I ask you, the alert viewer, does this scenario unfold as planned? Elizabeth McGovern has a quirkily interesting bone structure. She seems all mandible and tiny mouth at times, but she's vibrant. Steve Guttenberg has hair on his brawn and that's about it. Otherwise he's as helpless as the character he plays. If Isabelle Huppert can act, it isn't evident in this film. The killer is so formed and so groomed that he looks like he's wearing one of those masks of deformity in that Twilight Zone episode about greedy heirs.

Didn't the director, Curtis Hanson, go on to make "L.A. Confidential"? That was a nicely done piece of work. Here, everything seems clumsy and contrived, down to the small bit parts. Just before the inevitable violent climax, a uniformed police officer is introduced to delay McGovern's rescue, and the scene is embarrassing to watch. Dick Olsen has a bit part as a late shopper. He's a neat guy and always reliable. Paul Shenar as the cuckolded hubby has a striking face that seems made for the stage and he does a fine job too.

That louche joint where McGovern attracts the attention of the murderer, where she plays pool with a couple of hairy apes, was shot at a bar in Carolina Beach, in North Carolina, not far from where I lived. The way the interior is set up, it's clear that this is supposed to be a dangerous and dirty dive. Actually it appears rather more elegant on screen than it did in reality.

Overall, this is Hitchcock territory and it brings tears to the eyes to imagine what he would have done with this story.