Spring Break
Stephen King novella comes to silver screen
Secret Window - Four Triangles
J.P. Laub
Issue date: 3/12/04 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Based on the Stephen King novella "Secret Window, Secret Garden," this movie starring Johnny Depp, Maria Bello and John Turturro has a lot going for it with acting quality, and it only gets better when one considers the director David Koepp, who directed other suspense movies such as Stir of Echoes (1999) and wrote the screenplay for Spiderman (2002) and Panic Room (2002).
Mort Rainey (Depp) is a writer who is going through a divorce with his wife Amy (Bello) after he found her sleeping with another man. Then, one day, a strange man knocks on his door and accuses him of plagiarism. When Mort does not react kindly to this accusation, the stranger begins to haunt him and threaten those he loves. Mort tries to figure out how to get the stranger while dealing with his own personal demons.
Secret Window is a brilliantly constructed mystery-suspense thriller. It begins with a bang and then builds ever so slowly towards an ingenious climax. The writing is crisp and fresh, and Depp is so believable as Mort Rainey that no other actor could play the character as well. The fast pace and intricately woven storytelling make this movie a suspense thriller like no other.
There is one catch, however: Attentive audience members will quickly be able to discern the ending. While the ending is very well done and enjoyable, I found myself quickly eliminating possibilities until halfway through the movie, when the sole remaining one eventually transpired in the plot. This did not, however, take away from the movie experience.
Therefore, if you are a fan of suspense, I highly recommend Secret Window. Secret Window opens March 12.
Mort Rainey (Depp) is a writer who is going through a divorce with his wife Amy (Bello) after he found her sleeping with another man. Then, one day, a strange man knocks on his door and accuses him of plagiarism. When Mort does not react kindly to this accusation, the stranger begins to haunt him and threaten those he loves. Mort tries to figure out how to get the stranger while dealing with his own personal demons.
Secret Window is a brilliantly constructed mystery-suspense thriller. It begins with a bang and then builds ever so slowly towards an ingenious climax. The writing is crisp and fresh, and Depp is so believable as Mort Rainey that no other actor could play the character as well. The fast pace and intricately woven storytelling make this movie a suspense thriller like no other.
There is one catch, however: Attentive audience members will quickly be able to discern the ending. While the ending is very well done and enjoyable, I found myself quickly eliminating possibilities until halfway through the movie, when the sole remaining one eventually transpired in the plot. This did not, however, take away from the movie experience.
Therefore, if you are a fan of suspense, I highly recommend Secret Window. Secret Window opens March 12.
