Back in 1990, Stephen King wrote a novella called Secret Window, Secret Garden. Critics and fans do not regard it as among his best work – but it did have an interesting psychological twist that hadn’t quite been done to death at the time.

Download “Secret Window” Movie

A lot of psychological horror has flowed under the bridge since then and King’s story doesn’t seem quite as original now. Indeed, some movie goers have gone so far as to accuse him of something close to plagiarism – quite ironic, when you consider the subject matter.

Secret Window stars Johnny Depp as Morty Rainey, a novelist going through a messy combination of divorce, depression and writer’s block. He is living in the sort of cabin the woods that real writers dream of and plan to buy with their first six figure check.

To compound Rainey’s problems, he is accused of plagiarism by a mysterious visitor called John Shooter. According to Shooter, one of Rainey’s stories is a copy of his own, except for the ending – and this seems to be Shooter’s real beef. Rainey, he claims, changed the `perfect’ ending of his story and ruined it.

He demands retribution, and nasty things start to happen as Rainey desperately tries to get hold of the early magazine publication of his story that will prove he didn’t plagiarize it.

This sort of thing is every writer’s nightmare, but as a premise for a movie it’s very thin. But luckily, this movie has something up its sleeve to save the day – its cast.

As the pivotal character, around whom mayhem grows, Depp is magnificent. His artistry grows with every performance, as he moves almost effortlessly from one character to another. His Mort Rainey is a beautifully drawn portrait of dishevelled decline, as he stumbles from the couch in a torn dressing gown and bed hair.

As John Shooter, John Tuturro is almost accidentally menacing – a tall spare figure in a domed black hat, there is something wraithlike about him that only becomes clear at the end of the movie.

These two are backed up by an admirable cast that includes Timothy Hutton and Coyote Ugly’s Maria Bello. Everyone doffs their cap to Depp – they are in the presence of a master and they know it. Five minutes into the movie and the audience knows it too – without Depp, this would be very dull fare indeed.

Fifteen years ago, you might not have seen the ending coming – today, even if Secret Window does keep you guessing to the end, you are likely to be disappointed. Another irony in this movie is that it is about endings – about getting the ending `perfect’. Alas, it doesn’t succeed.

But if you are a fan of Johnny Depp, it is a perfect example of genius at work.

The Family Stone (Download, Review)
September 23, 2009
The Family Stone is one of those movies that I thought I would hate, but actually ended up liking a lot. I'm usually not too keen on this style of wacky family oriented comedy, but this film does it i ...
The Chronicles of Narnia (Download, Review)
September 23, 2009
When I first heard that Disney would be the company adapting the Chronicles of Narnia for the big screen, I was somewhat apprehensive.  Unlike some smaller studios, Disney has not always been known fo ...
The Wedding Crashers (Download, Review)
September 23, 2009
Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn together is what makes The Wedding Crashers work and they will leave you wanting more.  To download The Wedding Crashers click on link bellow Download "The Wedding Crasher ...
Christmas With the Kranks (Download, Review)
September 23, 2009
Christmas With the Kranks is now available on DVD, but I don’t recommend that you purchase it. Some will enjoy seeing it, but the comedy is very sparse throughout the entire movie. To download Christm ...
Memoirs of a Geisha (Download, Review)
September 23, 2009
The visual delight is undeniable; Rob Marshall’s screen rendition of Memoirs of a Geisha excels in cinematographic splendor. Its reproduction of Japan from the early 30s to the late 40s might make Mr. ...