 Movie
Reviews
with Evelyn Gough
Secret Window
Written and directed by David Koepp
 The body count rises as Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) tries to protect himself and wife Amy (Maria Bello) from a wacko.
There's nothing I enjoy more than being creeped out by a great thriller/horror flick. On one condition. There are no animals to worry about!
Remember the original Alien? I didn't give a damn about all the humans, I spent the whole movie worrying about the bloody cat! Who fortunately survived (unlike my fingernails).
Unfortunately the same cannot be said for poor Chico, the half blind dog of writer Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp) in the latest big screen adaption of a Stephen King story Secret Window.
Yep, just so you know in advance and are pre-warned (so all you animal lovers out there can be ready to shut your eyes) Chico has a rather nasty encounter with a screwdriver early on in the film.
And he's not the only one. The body count is rising rapidly in the woods surrounding Mort's cabin and there is no doubt in Mort's mind who is responsible. A creepy stranger from Mississippi, John Shooter (John Turturro) has accused the writer of plagiarising his story and publishing it under the title Secret Window.
His threatening behaviour has Mort fearing for his own safety and the safety of his soon-to-be ex-wife Amy (Maria Bello) so as a precaution he hires private detective Ken (Charles S Dutton) but the PI is unable to find any trace of the wacko. Just what is going on?
Who cares! For an hour and half you get to drool over Johnny Depp who even with bedhead and glasses manages to look totally scrumptious. And, as an added bonus, the guy can really act.
Secret Window may not be the greatest thriller ever written (there are holes in the plot you could drive a car through!) but it's pacy and suspenseful, with enough twists to keep you guessing and, as per usual, a superlative performance from Depp.
This is typical Stephen King. In other words prepare yourself for a cocktail of humour, edge-of-the-seat thrills and chills and some quite graphic violence.
Rating: 
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