Movie reviews: Hollywood and Indie, specializing in independent comedies, dramas, thrillers and romance.
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Through My Window Across the Sea: Movie Review
More of the same bad relationship.
Through My Window: Across the Sea reunites young lovers Raquel and Ares. Ares has returned home from university in Stockholm for the summer, so the ‘Across the Sea’ component is resolved within the opening minutes and we’re back to just ‘Through My Window’, which is fitting because it’s basically the same movie; same relationship and most of the same relationship problems.
2023
Directed by: Marçal Forés
Screenplay by: Ariana Godoy, Eduard Sola
Starring: Clara Galle, Julio Peña
The original was a popular but not necessarily well-liked movie. Lots of sex, but if you’re not here for the sex there’s little else of value since Ares and everything revolving around him is so problematic. And really nothing is improved for the sequel. He cares about Raquel a little bit more than he did in the first one, but that’s a very low bar. He still lacks impulse control, still ridiculously egotistical and still manipulative and indiscreet. If you didn’t understand the appeal to Ares in the first movie, there isn’t anything new in the sequel.
The new relationship problems include Raquel and Ares being insecure in their university studies but don’t confide or discuss with one another until late in the movie just to let that fester for the fun of it. The rest of the relationship problems are really the same relationship problems just disguised. Ares has a new female friend who throws himself at him, so he openly flirts with her in front of Raquel to purposely make her jealous and then throw that jealousy in her face. Meanwhile Raquel has a new love interest and Ares likes to gloat over him that he and Raquel are not actually together – as a lie so he can maintain control over Raquel and pretend that he’s just so irresistible that she’s going to pick him instead.
The sequel spends more time out in the open, by the Spanish seaside with gorgeous cliffs, beaches and water. The sequel also spends more time with the supporting characters, but only as an excuse to have more sex scenes. The sex appeal is there, but I’m still just as disgusted with how they insist on showing Raquel’s body. So again, a whole lot of female nudity and zero male nudity.
The only appeal to Through My Window is the sex scenes. Through My Window Across the Sea continues most of the same. But any viewers – and really this should be most audience members – who want a better story or at least a more functional relationship with the sex scenes, are going to have to look elsewhere.
