TB4000
03-14-2004, 11:04 AM
Secret Window
As of late, it looks like Johnny Depp can do no wrong. After his stint in the live-action Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which by all accounts should’ve bombed for Disney even thinking about using one of their most iconic properties like that, everyone seemed to stand up and take notice of Mr. Depp. From Once Upon a Time in Mexico, to the upcoming Tim Burton version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the actor once known as a reclusive native of France has been hoisted back to A-List Land, though technically he never really left. Considering his past repertoire of films, most of which combine gothic darkness and wry humor, it seems only natural that he eventually be enlisted into the realm of Stephen King.
Secret Window, based on a short story by King, is the tale of Mort Rainey, a semi-popular author known for his macabre thrillers. Yes, you’re right...it is ironic that many of Stephen King’s central characters are authors in the same vein as he is, but I think he’s fully aware of the irony himself. Take Misery, the Dark Half, and the Shining, put them together in a play-doh type ball, then pick it apart…then you would have the foundation for Secret Window. Mort has just recently had to deal with a very harsh breakup between himself and his wife Amy (Maria Bello), who has been seeing another guy on the proverbial down low for months behind his back. Mort being a King creation, of course this little setback transforms him into a basic emotional basket case, and he feels the desire to get away from the city, or more accurately his wife, so he retreats to a house on the lake in upstate New York where he can finish his stories in peace. However, peace of mind will be coming at an extremely huge price, as from out of nowhere, he encounters John Shooter (John Tuturro), a man from Mississippi dressed like an Amish serial killer who claims that Mort plagiarized his short story years ago and wants him to give credit where credit is due. Of course, Mort thinks this character is nuts (look who’s talking, huh?), and dismisses him as such. Later, when random creepy events start taking place around the house, Mort becomes more and more paranoid, especially when Shooter happens to come out of nowhere.
The movie does have a few jump moments, usually when Mort thinks Shooter is somewhere around his house or the woods, and he goes off to investigate matters. But it’s more or less a psychological horror movie than a typical thriller in that effect. Mort’s life is already screwed up beyond belief, and this Shooter guy isn’t exactly helping matters. But what makes it even more different is that it seems like Mort is actually torturing himself more than Shooter ever could…imagining things, letting the thoughts of his ex-wife linger in his mind, etc.
Johnny Depp was honestly the only actor that could’ve done this character justice, with maybe Kevin Spacey being a close second. He suffers from writer’s block, which can most definitely drive a writer insane, as I can tell you. His character could best be described as neurotic with a dark sense of humor, as he takes every opportunity to lambaste Amy’s new boyfriend, even though he secretly suspects he may have a hand in all of it.
As I read before I saw the movie, Secret Window does have a twist ending, but unfortunately it’s a twist that’s been in several movies over the past few years, even if King did construct it first. The movie’s whole sense of being comes from Depp’s acting, not the story…but I think that might be more than enough.
As of late, it looks like Johnny Depp can do no wrong. After his stint in the live-action Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which by all accounts should’ve bombed for Disney even thinking about using one of their most iconic properties like that, everyone seemed to stand up and take notice of Mr. Depp. From Once Upon a Time in Mexico, to the upcoming Tim Burton version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the actor once known as a reclusive native of France has been hoisted back to A-List Land, though technically he never really left. Considering his past repertoire of films, most of which combine gothic darkness and wry humor, it seems only natural that he eventually be enlisted into the realm of Stephen King.
Secret Window, based on a short story by King, is the tale of Mort Rainey, a semi-popular author known for his macabre thrillers. Yes, you’re right...it is ironic that many of Stephen King’s central characters are authors in the same vein as he is, but I think he’s fully aware of the irony himself. Take Misery, the Dark Half, and the Shining, put them together in a play-doh type ball, then pick it apart…then you would have the foundation for Secret Window. Mort has just recently had to deal with a very harsh breakup between himself and his wife Amy (Maria Bello), who has been seeing another guy on the proverbial down low for months behind his back. Mort being a King creation, of course this little setback transforms him into a basic emotional basket case, and he feels the desire to get away from the city, or more accurately his wife, so he retreats to a house on the lake in upstate New York where he can finish his stories in peace. However, peace of mind will be coming at an extremely huge price, as from out of nowhere, he encounters John Shooter (John Tuturro), a man from Mississippi dressed like an Amish serial killer who claims that Mort plagiarized his short story years ago and wants him to give credit where credit is due. Of course, Mort thinks this character is nuts (look who’s talking, huh?), and dismisses him as such. Later, when random creepy events start taking place around the house, Mort becomes more and more paranoid, especially when Shooter happens to come out of nowhere.
The movie does have a few jump moments, usually when Mort thinks Shooter is somewhere around his house or the woods, and he goes off to investigate matters. But it’s more or less a psychological horror movie than a typical thriller in that effect. Mort’s life is already screwed up beyond belief, and this Shooter guy isn’t exactly helping matters. But what makes it even more different is that it seems like Mort is actually torturing himself more than Shooter ever could…imagining things, letting the thoughts of his ex-wife linger in his mind, etc.
Johnny Depp was honestly the only actor that could’ve done this character justice, with maybe Kevin Spacey being a close second. He suffers from writer’s block, which can most definitely drive a writer insane, as I can tell you. His character could best be described as neurotic with a dark sense of humor, as he takes every opportunity to lambaste Amy’s new boyfriend, even though he secretly suspects he may have a hand in all of it.
As I read before I saw the movie, Secret Window does have a twist ending, but unfortunately it’s a twist that’s been in several movies over the past few years, even if King did construct it first. The movie’s whole sense of being comes from Depp’s acting, not the story…but I think that might be more than enough.