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| Johnny Depp proves once again that he is an amazing actor in the new thriller "Secret Window." |
Johnny Depp proves once again that he is an amazing actor in the new thriller "Secret Window." The
film, which is based on a Stephen King short story, is full of visual symbolism and realistic acting. John Turturro, Maria
Bello, Charles S Dutton, Len Cariou and Timothy Hutton head the supporting cast, but this is Depp's movie plain and simple
- something which he definitely is not.
Depp plays Mort Rainey, a novelist who is going through some trying times.
He has caught his wife Amy (Bello) cheating on him and now they are in the middle of a divorce. He has lost his home - Amy
got it - and is living in a cabin. He doesn't want to do anything but sleep. And he has writer's block. But all of this is
nothing compared to what happens next.
There is a knock at the door of his cabin. He opens it to find a strange looking/acting
man named John Shooter (Turturro) there. Shooter says that Mort stole a story he had written and used his words verbatim.
Shooter wants Mort to fix this situation or there will be dire results. And there are!
As intriguing as the plot is,
Depp is even more so. In every scene, his every action and reaction are mesmerizing. He knows exactly how to create the complexities
of Mort's personality and then use these complexities to make the suspense of the film intense.
Turturro keeps pace
with Depp's bravura performance. It doesn't take much for Turturro to seem bizarre and in this one he gives it some extra
effort. You have ominous feelings about this man as soon as he appears on screen and they are justified.
Bello and
Hutton are solid as Amy and her lover. They don't have that much to do in the movie but they keep the film moving. Dutton
has a throwaway role as a security person Mort hires, while Cariou is seen only briefly as the town sheriff.
Phillip
Glass' musical score supplements the power of the performances. It is never intrusive but rather cushions the plot.
The
movie is rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.
Johnny Depp is going more mainstream in his movie choices, but he
is keeping his edge by playing quirky characters who need the deft touch of Johnny Depp. He is a unique actor who just gets
better and better.
I scored "Secret Window" an open and shut 7 out of 10. |
| BeniciaNews.com |
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