Fine Mess

“Windfall” is very well filmed and acted and the premise and plot are strong enough to keep us watching. A rich couple returning to a vacation home encounter a burglar in their home trying to make off with cash. The thief ends up holding them hostage over a multi-day period while he waits for an even larger payoff. The actors do a fine job in their roles and are believable overall. There is ample tension as we do not know where this is ultimately going. The film moves slowly but it is not boring. It has some dark comedy elements, including the “hosts” themselves negotiating for a bigger payday for the crook. I had a big problem with its ending, however, because it did not seem like what happened was justified or warranted and it was entirely out of character. I felt there should have been more happening earlier leading to that kind of result. I also had a problem with the film trying to play the rich dude as a bad guy. Yes, he cheats on his wife and that’s not good, but he also constantly worries for her safety, supports her charitable endeavor and even wants a family with her. Does this make him evil personified? Also, if she’s so miserable, why not just leave him? Even to the end of this film, she could have just walked away from him, but chooses instead to do something much worse. In addition, the couple helps negotiate for more money for the thief, but this also necessitates him sticking around longer to wait for it. Had they just gone along with his demands, they could have gotten him the cash quicker and been done with it. This sounds nit picky, but it’s just one of several disconnects that artificially extend the whole episode. For instance, the thief is back at his car, tucked away on the back side of the property, when he notices a video camera mounted in a tree pointing right at him. It’s not clear why the camera is there or who it belongs to because it’s not the home owners. This causes the thief to go back inside and demand more cash to allow him to start a new life. Yet, if he’s worried about the camera, he’s certainly not worried about who might see that video. He spends another 24 hours at the house with the kidnapped couple! How does he know someone is not watching that video already and calling the cops. He doesn’t; it’s not even an afterthought. While I enjoyed the film overall, it is certainly not a masterpiece.

The movie is very well acted and directed; it was a pleasant surprise. Ultimately, it is about accepting what we have become with grace. The pacing is deliberately slow, but it works in this case. I think the one issue with the film I have is that we are left to wonder where it ends up; it’s an ending that does not provide that for us but leaves it to our imagination.