I found the ending a bit too convenient...This house had so many unique features, and the glass walls were interesting. But OK, the wall panel of glass gives way when someone falls against it? If a house is constructed like this one was, the walls would certainly have to be reinforced to prevent things like this from happening.
I enjoyed this movie a lot. I was anticipating an ending with resolution that addressed the tensions that had been brought up. Having Chloe die was just too convenient.
I thought the film was good especially the scene where Liam Neeson and Moore admit their lies and go into that smoking area with the heat lamps. Just a very personal scene and the location was excellent
I liked it up until the end. Was predictable definitely.
Her forgetting to relatch the window still doesn't explain how it would give way so easily. Even if it was left unlatched it should still withstand pretty heavy forced against it without breaking.
I've installed many a large picture window. Commercial and residential glass installation and replacement is my day job. Trust me, this isn't going to happen with any properly installed window, large or small. The glass will shatter before the frame falls out.
Let me tell you, those window frames are made so flimsy today, that it's not at all far fetched that the window would come out like that. I've seen it happen exactly like that in an office high rise. Luckily nobody was hurt, but that window just snapped and fell out. Everything is junk these days, including the way they build houses. it's all plastic these days.
"IMdB; where 14 year olds can act like jaded 40 year old critics...'
Actually, when Catherine is spying on Michael, she neglects to relatch the window/
Relatched or not it is still hinged and it wouldn't completely fall out with the slightest touch. If I were them I'd sue the person who installed it.
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Allegorical meaning? WTF? She barely pushed her against the window and the whole thing fell out. I'm suing the installer and you can explain your interpretation of its meaning after I get my cash.
Easy you guys, in the sequel they sue the contractor, Chloe comes back from the dead and sleep with the contractor'd wife who then turns around and has a baby with Liam Neeson. Script by Quentin Tarantino. No allegory though, sorry.
The ending had me scratching my head as well, it seems not even Chloe could escape the "falling off something to their death" cliche and it just felt thrown in there because they didn't know how to end the movie, which is a shame because everything before that was absolutely perfect.
If the scriptwriter wants Chloe to die from a fall, there are a hundred ways to do it instead of having the entire structure disintegrating when a 100-pound girl leans against it, which is totally ridiculous. For a start, why can't she simply fall through an open window?
Atom Egoyan has openly expressed his admiration of Pier Paolo Pasolini. Especially the film Teorema. A similar thing occurs in the Pasolini film. In fact, Pasolini openly declared that the stranger in his film is a sacred being.
Shows how much you know, LOL.
"Maybe it's another dimension. Or, you know, just really deep." --Needy
Mythical - yes, but less holy than you depict her. See my topic.
But in this thread I see no one mentioning the especially zoomed-in view of Chloe's fingers, gripping the window-post in order to draw herself back up, and then deliberately letting go of her grip.
A very clear hint, pointed out by the camera, as I saw it.
The OP's comment is correct but (apart from being a movie and thus not necessarily realistic), I think that scene meaning is symbolic.
IMO, Chloe was love-starved, craving for love and being recognized. She acted as a seductress, with the wife and the son (and everybody else) - and not because she enjoyed seducing, but because it was her way to win love (or trying to). Maybe she wanted to be part of that family, that from ouside looked so perfect (handsome and charismatic husband, successful wife, talented son, beautiful house...). It looked like the Chloe character never had a loving family of her own, that's why she was so fascinated by all of Catherine's family members. Towards the end, it became obvious that Chloe was disturbed and had emotional issues.
In the end, she realize that her naive plan is shattering around her: her dream is breking up and she's falling into despair. THUS the window break and shatters (just like her emotional state), and she falls because she has nothing left to cling to (when losing balance, she has a grasp on the window frame, but she lets go because, why bother? She realizes is alone again, and lost).
That's the symbolism I read into the scene. Of course that's my interpretation. :-)
--- The only sure thing we know: we don't know everything - and we never will.
Beautiful, I like your points. When Chloe sacrifices herself it always breaks my heart. Amanda's acting is so perfect, it's mostly in the expressions of her eyes and flawless body language, not just the dialogue.