"You should be the actress", 5 Mar 2005

By	Sebastian Fernandez (Tampa, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

Marion Post (Rowland) is a philosophy professor who is taking a leave of absence to write a book and who has rented an apartment to be able to do this peacefully and without any interruptions. The apartment is next door to the office of a psychiatrist and she realizes that she can hear the sessions through the air vents. At first she covers the vents to prevent invading the patients' privacy, but later she hears the sad voice of a woman (Mia Farrow) after one of the cushions covering the vent moves from its place. From that moment on she is hooked and cannot help herself, so she continues eavesdropping into the sessions of the mysterious woman.

Marion starts identifying herself with some of the accounts of this woman and understands that she may actually be dissatisfied with her life too, mainly with her choice of husband and career. From that point forward the psychological aspects of the story become the central focus around which the action revolves. The dreams, memories and reality of Marion's life interact with each other, making us doubt at times if certain events are really happening or not. The final result is an interesting look at the psyche of the main character and her relationship with others.

As it is usual in Allen's movies, there are coincidences galore with chance encounters that reunite old friends and current acquaintances, but the story remains believable all the time. One of the most notable aspects of the film is the outstanding cast, with Rowland playing her role to perfection and other renowned actors and actresses adding their fair share. The performance of Gene Hackman is praiseworthy, and even though his participation is fairly brief, he leaves a lasting impression. If you have not seen any films by Woody Allen, this one is as good a place as any to start.

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