Disturbia Pays Homage to Hitchcock

Film Takes a New Look Through the Rear Window

With a tip of the hat to the late great Alfred Hitchcock, director D.J. Caruso ("Two for the Money") puts a modern spin on Hitchcock's classic "Rear Window" in "Disturbia."

Shia LaBeouf plays Kale, a young man struggling with the untimely death of his father in an automobile accident. In the year following that incident, Kale becomes ittle more than a zombie at school and is prone to violent behavior, especially after a teacher makes an insensitive comment about his dad. Kale responds by punching the instructor in the face.

The judge in his case is fairly lenient, however, and sentences Kale to 3 months of house arrest. For the duration of the summer, this young man must stay within a certain area or find himself standing in front of a less-sympathetic judge.

Because his mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) has cancelled all of his online music and game accounts, Kale amuses himself by watching the neighbors. He spends so much time looking at the people on his street that he knows their little routines by heart.

Kale also keeps an eye on Ashley (Sarah Roemer), a pretty teenage girl who moved into the house next door. He even watches quiet Mr. Turner (David Morse) go through his twice-daily ritual of cutting the front lawn.

After a while, Kale thinks that Mr. Turner is up to no good and could even be a serial killer who's wanted out of state for murder. Kale has a hard time convincing his best friend Ronnie (Aaron Yoo) to help him look in the Turner house for evidence of foul play, though.

As the mysterious neighbor next door, David Morse is oddly effective in "Disturbia," a thriller that doesn't lose its sense of humor even when the blood starts flying.

Morse, who always is reliable, turns in a subdued performance that makes the audience wonder if he's really a mass murderer or merely a quiet neighbor who has a thing about keeping his lawn tidy.

Over the last few years, Shia LaBeouf has emerged as one of his generation's finest actors and now, coming off a truly fine performance in the biopic "Bobby," LaBeouf is back in top form as a young man who may or may not be seeing things.