I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

What was the point of this travesty? Might as well take all the masterpieces and do remakes and heap insult and sacrilege. Was this a charity case for Mr. Reeves? If so, nice intent. However, nice intents can turn into embarrassment. As it is when you try to replace Jimmy Stewart on the screen. And Daryl Hannah as the contemporary Grace Kelly replacement? Another horribly cast blemish.I would love to hear what Hitch would have to say to the producer, director, and actors of this farce. I do not understand why some producers want to "modernize" a classic. Occasionally, it can be pulled off with some success, but not here.

1954's Rear Window is my favorite movie of all time. I have held off watching this remake for eight years. I just dreaded seeing the classic copied and ruined. It was not as bad as I was anticipating, but it captures none of the charm, humor or suspense of the original. Christopher Reeve is no Jimmy Stewart, and although Darryl Hannah is no Grace Kelly, I did like her performance, it was subtle and sincere. They left so much of the best stuff out of the original and focused instead just on the one neighbor. All the high tech gadgetry is a distraction. It just proves, no one can direct a film as well as the Master himself - Alfred Hitchcock. I would shudder to think of what he would say if he saw this remake.

Having survived a car crash, Jason Kemp is left paralysed from the neck down and his only comfort is the fact that his high paying job has allowed him to have his flat kitted out with loads of assistive technology. Trying to cope with the loss of his body, Jason is determined to stay busy but soon finds himself becoming fascinated with the apartment block across the road from his own flat. He spots a woman across the road getting into a domestic with her boyfriend and call the police on him. Being just as nosey, one of his helpers, Antonio, feeds his interest by getting him a camera and monitor set up. However when the boyfriend comes back something happens and the woman he has been watching seems to no longer be in the flat Jason suspects murder.The term "vanity project" could be applied to this film since it is more about Reeve himself than his character, but in this case it would be a hardhearted person that would attack the film on this ground. The film has a certain amount of novelty value due to the presence of Reeve but outside of that it is hard to ignore how inferior it is to the Hitchcock original. I know some reviewers have been so moved by the presence of Reeve that they have found it difficult to review the film as what it is meant to be – which is something of value in its own right. As such this remake isn't actually that good because it lacks tension, character and originality. It isn't terrible of course, because it is reasonably engaging but, aside from the novelty value, I can't see why anyone would chose to watch this in place of the original.Reeve is pretty good in the lead role. He is natural enough and convincing in his sense of panic but he is hardly given that great a performance. I can understand why viewers would be sympathetic in their judgement of his performance but perhaps they have been a bit too generous – it is brave, but not brilliant. Talking of "not brilliant", good to see Darryl Hannah still churning out the wooden performances. Forster is a nice "pre-Jackie Brown" find but doesn't have much to do, while I didn't care for Santiago-Hudson that much.Overall this is a so-so film that benefits greatly from the presence of Reeve. Aside from his return to the screen there isn't a huge amount to make this worth a look – particularly when it has been done so much better elsewhere.

It is not just another remake. They destroyed what was a good story line.Christopher Reeve plays on everyone's sympathy because he was paralyzed. He should have stopped acting before he made this show. It was pure trash. Next try to make something.