THE NEIGHBOUR
US, 2007, 98 minutes, Colour.
Matthew Modine, Michele Laroque, Katie Walder, Richard Kind, Ed Quinn.
Directed by Eddie O’ Flaherty.
The Neighbour is a situation comedy, Matthew Modine portraying an architect who has lived in an apartment for a long time. He is separated from his wife, has visits from his daughter. However, downstairs is businesswoman Christine (Michele Laroque) who is engaged to her businessman fiancé, Jonathan, Ed Quinn.
Christine has all kinds of plans to move Jeff out from his apartment and he resists. There is a great deal of situation comedy in the battle of the neighbours, a battle of the sexes.
The film is farfetched in its presentation of what must be a common situation. It also contrives to have Jeff fall in love with Christine – as he needs to go to his ex-wife’s wedding and cannot find a partner to make her jealous. Christine agrees to go as long as he moves out. In the meantime, her fiancé, Jonathan, takes things into his own hands. She has got to know Jeff a little better, kissed him, has got to know his daughter, and her heart is touched. In the meantime, he discovers that the mall that he has been planning is under her management.
The film ends rather abruptly in terms of drama – but, of course, will lead to romance and marriage.
1. A pleasing comedy-drama?
2. The Los Angeles settings? The apartment block? Homes? Offices? The countryside? The wedding? The musical score?
3. Jeff’s story? His background, his wife leaving him, her new partner, the dentist, his best friend? Her prospective marriage and his reaction? Her pregnancy? His relationship with his daughter, her coming to visit, to stay? His wanting her to stay in – and her friends coming over, the dance and the noise? His work, as an architect? His work with his partner? The plan, the mall, its acceptance? His temper, trampling it?
4. The issue of his eviction? Christine and her hostility, his living upstairs? His looking over the balcony? His sarcasm towards Christine? Her plans to get rid of him, to renovate? The accidents? Things falling over the balcony? His destroying her garden? The young people dancing and her complaint about the noise? The build-up of the tension?
5. Christine, her character, hardworking, business? Wilder and his commendations of her? Her love for Jonathan, the engagement? The plans for the wedding? Her being preoccupied with business? Taking her work home? Her reaction to Jonathan, his wanting to relax? Yet his business efficiency? The clashes with Jeff, meeting the daughter? Jeff’s asking her to go to the wedding, her decision to go, to get him to move out? Travelling to the wedding, dressing up? Her making the point against his wife? Her not drinking? The challenge, her dancing? The kiss? Her leaving? Jeff’s hostility towards her with the eviction? Her talking things over with his daughter? Getting to know her? A bit of heart? Going to the office, finding that Jeff was the architect? His bad reaction? Her talking with Jonathan, breaking with him?
6. Jonathan, his business style, having everything in order, controlling Christine? His wanting to go to the hotel, her being busy with plans, at home, his restlessness? His reaction to her going to the wedding? His dislike of Jeff? Going to the lawyer, the success of the eviction?
7. Jeff and his daughter, their being sent out, all the goods going? His control of the paintings? Their return and everything in place? His accusations against Christine, having to back down?
8. His paintings, Christine’s admiring them? The possibility of a show?
9. Jonathan out of the way, Jeff and Christine, the daughter’s approval? Happy endings and futures?
