Critical Outcast

DVD Review. Secret Window
This gem of a film has been maligned from critics and viewers alike, and I'd like to know why. It was tightly written, if not original, well paced, without being slow, and features another fantastic performance from Johnny Depp. I think some of it stems from the fact that this is a Stephen King adaptation, and we all know how many King based movies are any good.

The movie is about Morton Rainey, a soon to be divorced author who has secluded himself in a cabin while trying to work through some serious writer's block. He is also visited by a stranger who claims that he stole his story, and we are introduced to John Shooter (John Turturro). The story is not terribly original, but what the film hangs on is the nice deliberate pacing, and the incredible portrayal of Rainey.

David Koepp, who adapted the screenplay from the King novella, directs the film with a steady hand. There are a few nice visual flourishes, including a very nice tracking shot early on that also gives a hint of things to come. There is very little in the way of special effects, the story just doesn't need it. The dialogue is nice, a lot of funny touches. Koepp is no stranger to this type of film, the slightly claustrophobic thrillers, having previously helmed Stir of Echoes and Trigger Effect, not to mention writing the screenplay for David Fincher's Panic Room.

Johnny Depp, what more can I say, he is one of the best actors working today. The little touches he brings to Rainey. The jaw movements, talking to his dog, the mannerisms. I am sure a lot of it was written into the script, but I am also sure that Depp improvised a lot. The supporting cast is rounded out with Maria Bello as his wife, Timothy Hutton as the slimy boyfriend, and Charles S. Dutton as a PI helping Rainey out. Also let us not forget John Turturro as the mysterious John Shooter, the southern hick with the unfinished story.

Overall this is a fine thriller with some great acting, and some neat little twists. There were portions left unexplained that I wish had a little more depth, but that is OK we have enough to go on.

Video: The video is very good, no graininess or pixelation, the detail is high throughout even in the darker scenes. It is what I expect from a major studio release.

Audio: Also a very nice. The movie is dialog heavy, and at all times it is clear and intelligible.

Extras: Very nice selection of extras considering this isn't an A-list release. There is a feature commentary writer/director David Koepp, I have not listened to this yet, so I cannot comment on it's content. We get a few deleted scenes, a couple with optional commentary. The scenes themselves are good to see, and easy to understand why they were cut. We also get three featurettes looking at the production. They are entertaining and do lend some insight into the story and acting processes as well as some of the few effects used. Finally we get a couple of animatic sequences. Probably picked up from his time working with David Fincher. They are a look at a few sequences storyboarded with rough computer animation, including the opening tracking shot.

Overall: A very underrated thriller that is given a nice showing on DVD. This one is worth a rental for thriller fans and a must own for Depp fans. DO yourself a favor and give it a spin.