Secret Window (PG)
Opens Aug 12
Running Time: 96 min

Cast: Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Maria Bello
Director: David Koepp

Some Windows should never be opened

By Melissa-Ann Tan • UrbanWire
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Ever had a gut feeling that you shouldn't be doing something? And even though you know you shouldn't, you ignore your instincts and discover things that should never be found out?

That's exactly what happens to successful author Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) when he discovers his wife Amy (Maria Bello) cheating on him. 6 months later, Mort is facing a messy divorce and worse, he finds himself suffering from writers' block.

And it only gets worse. Mort is rudely awakened one morning and accused of plagiarism by a creepy stranger in a large black hat, who suddenly turns up on his doorstep. John Shooter (John Turturro) swears that Mort took his story, and messed up the ending. Demanding that Mort "put things right", John promises to be back, and warns Mort not to get anyone else involved.

Being the self-respecting writer he is, Mort thinks nothing of this strange Southerner and continues about his life. But when Mort finally reads Shooter's manuscript, he discovers an uncanny similarity between Shooter's version and his own.

To prove he's innocent, Mort tells Shooter that he had published his story in an obscure magazine in June 1995, while Shooter had completed his only in 1997.   However, Shooter insists that he wrote the story first, and sets Mort a 3-day time period to produce the magazine. Desperate to get the stalker off his back, Mort agrees, but a series of strange and macabre events begin to unfold, casting Mort into a bewildering turmoil he can't escape from.

Originally written by Stephen King as a short story "Secret Window, Secret Garden" in his recent book, 4 Past Midnight , the story yields a three-dimensional and identifiable character, well fleshed out by Screen Actors Guild [http://www.sagawards.org/] award winner Johnny Depp. Depp has once again outdone himself in portraying the role of a character unlike that of his previous roles like the comedic Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. He brings the viewer closer to Rainey as he slowly loses his mind to Shooter's extortion.

Directed by David Koepp, the writer of blockbuster movie scripts like The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Spider-Man , Secret Window is one of the best thrillers of this year, if not for the predictability of the film itself. Halfway through, you can almost guess the ending and put together all the not-so-subtle hints like how he keeps talking to the voices in his head that have been scattered throughout the movie.

Also, a scene early on in the film where Shooter and Mort are arguing seems to have been cut, as the shot transitions are not smooth. Other than that, the cinematography was wonderful and goes very well with the spooky soundtrack. This is one of the few thrillers that does not bank on lots of blood and gore, for example horror film 28 Days Later.

Despite the lack of surprises, the film is well-acted and well paced, and of course, we're inclined to agree with Mort's memorable line, " The only thing that matters is the ending. It's the most important part of the story. And this one is very good."

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