Do You Like Hitchcock? (2005) Horror Thriller

Do you like Hitchcock? (2005) - Do you like homage? Well if you don't you will probably want to avoid this slightly less than clever tribute to Alfred Hitchcock. Giulio (Elio Germano) lives in a neighborhood similar to that of Jeff Jefferies (Jimmy Stewart) in the Hitchcock classic Rear Window (1954). Looking out his window he can see into all the apartments surrounding his building. As people appear to lack shades or refuse to use them little private vignettes of life in the city are on display for Giulio to view. An attractive girl arguing with her mother young couple kissing, people coming and going, watching television or making love all within sight of his room. Now this being a film directed by Dario Argento there is a male gaze that is very female focused. Sasha (Elisabetta Rocchetti) the beautiful girl across the way makes a point to pose in front of the mirror as well as in the window in the near nude. The excited Julio not only peeks but uses binoculars so that the audience can get a close up view of the lovely young woman. Where Hitchcock in Rear Window acknowledges that it is wrong to invade the privacy of others in this film it is used to titillate the main character and the audience and is done in a way making all participants leering creeps.
At the local video store Giulio creeps further on Sasha as she and another attractive women Frederica (Chiara Conti) exchange pleasantry about the Hitchcock film Stranger's on a Train. As the film plays out it centers around Giulio making connection between that film and the meeting of the two young women. When Sasha's mother is murdered in the apartment where she and her daughter live he is sure that the plot of that film is playing out before his eyes. His investigation becomes more important than anything else and he takes risks about finding out if Frederica did in fact kill Sasha's mother.
  Argento obviously loves Hitchcock and he really is trying to worship at his feet with this film. The film is full of references and from Dial M for Murder to Psycho there is a bunch to pick out as homage to the master. It takes a while to play out but Giulio's snooping gets results, learning that Federica had stolen money from her company and is being blackmailed for sex by her boss. Motives seem to abound and he is sure but can't really prove anything. There is a climax and a false climax in this film. Argento trying to be clever turns the classic story a bit on its side by introducing another player to threaten Giulio as he nears figuring out the intrigue. It could wrap up there, killer caught and story over but there is more. The climax is classic Rear Window with his girlfriend Ariana (Christina Brondo) playing the Grace Kelly Role and going across the street to Sasha's apartment while the killer is there. Giulio who has hurt his leg watches helplessly as Jimmy Stewart did in the Hitchcock film.
  All in all I think this film works, it is derivative but tries to add some twist to make the ideas fresh. It is obvious Argento loves the material he references and gives us an entertaining mystery that is not equal to the films it pays tribute to. I think this film is worth a watch. I have recently had a Mandela effect concerning Dario Argento. I have this memory of hearing that he died and being very sad about it. fact is that he is not dead and this can not be a real memory. Whether it came to me in a dream or I am confusingly substituting one person for another in it it is quite unsettling. I would be sad if Dario were to pass away but why I was so sure he had remains a mystery.