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SECRET WINDOW ***1/2 out of *****
Genres
2004 Written and directed David Koepp Cast Johnny Depp .... Mort Rainey John Turturro .... John Shooter Maria Bello .... Amy Rainey Timothy Hutton .... Ted Milner Charles S. Dutton .... Ken Karsch Len Cariou .... Sheriff Dave Newsome Joan Heney .... Mrs. Garvey John Dunn-Hill .... Tom Greenleaf Vlasta Vrana .... Fire Chief Wickersham Matt Holland .... Detective Bradley Gillian Ferrabee .... Fran Evans Bronwen Mantel .... Greta Bowie Elizabeth Marleau .... Juliet Stoker Kyle Allatt .... Busboy Richard Jutras .... Motel Manager
For the better part of a decade screenwriter David Koepp has been responsible for some of Hollywood’s most high profile writing jobs, churning out scripts for Jurassic Park, its sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Carlito’s Way, Mission: Impossible, Panic Room, and Spider-Man to name a few. Koepp has made a name for himself as a blockbuster writer. Major studios and big time directors seek this man to write their big budget adventure- and action-packed films. In fact he’s written Steven Spielberg’s next film, a retelling of the classic H.G. Wells story The War of the Worlds which will no doubt be a giant-sized spectacle upon release. Despite the fact that he’s often commissioned to write these mammoth films, Koepp himself has also carved out a fine career as a director of smaller, more character driven, stories such as the 1999 film Stir of Echoes and more notably with this film Secret Window an adaptation of a Stephen King short story entitled Secret Window, Secret Garden.
 | Johnny Depp's screen test for
Daredevil ended in failure. | Secret Window tells the story of successful writer Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp), who has a serious case of writer’s block and is going through a painful divorce from his wife Amy (Maria Bello) after discovering that she is cheating on him with Ted (Timothy Hutton). Having split up, Mort has isolated himself in a cabin in the woods when one day a mysterious southern man John Shooter (John Turturro) arrives on his doorstep accusing Mort of plagiarism and threatening revenge. Shooter sparks a mind-bending game of cat and mouse that leaves Mort afraid for his life. Mort employs private investigator/bodyguard Ken Karsch (Charles S. Dutton) to help him find Shooter and shake some sense into him. But when things start to go bad, Mort finds himself in a whole new ball game that keeps even him in the dark until the very end.
 | | Writers are not that well groomed. | Secret Window is a very entertaining and well-crafted thriller with several elements that work together to culminate in a twist ending that not only shocks but also delivers edge-of-your-seat excitement. Koepp has written a strong script from King’s original short story. Each character is given time to develop throughout the film, the slow pacing is deliberate to build tension until the last 20-minutes, and, to top it off, the dialogue is fresh and is, most importantly, believable coming from these characters.
 | Only someone in peril would
jog in such inappropriate
attire. | As a director Koepp has managed to extract wonderful performances from his two male leads. Depp plays the role of Mort Rainey as if he’s lived the man's life for years, adding his own quirky sensibilities, such as his constant need to grind his teeth, to make the character all the more human. Turturro is able to hold his own as the southern man Shooter with a very deep southern slur that at times may seem over the top but, once the end is revealed, is justified. The cast also includes strong supporting performances from Maria Bello who plays Mort’s separated wife Amy andis a treat to watch, as her emotional range far exceeds some of today’s top actresses. Which begs the question; why isn’t this woman in more films? Veteran actor Charles S. Dutton also contributes a fine performance as the investigator, adding some nice character moments such as the timer used between conversations at his office. Finally we have Amy’s lover and new man in her life since her split-up with Mort. Ted is played by Timothy Hutton, who has managed to portray the classic ‘hated’ figure that came between the married couple. These great performances can not only be attributed to fine casting but also to a fine sense of direction from Koepp who has taken his own script and created something rather special for the big screen; a fresh, clever, and entertaining thriller that doesn’t convolute itself.
Other areas of note include the precisely natural, yet moody, photography of Fred Murphy that lends itself quite well to this film. And Philip Glass' score that accurately accentuates the scenes in this film. Secret Window will provide a great night’s entertainment and is highly recommended. Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.
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