+++ Secret Window +++ Movie: Secret Window Cast: Johnny Depp, John Turturro, Maria Bello, Charles S. Dutton, Timothy Hutton Rating: 3 of 5 Reviewer: Marc Eriksen Based on the Stephen King novel; "Secret Window, Secret Garden," Secret Window is a film adaptation about a man named Mort Rainey (Johnny Depp), a successful author, who resides in a remote area outside of a small town after a divorce from his ex-wife, Amy (Maria Bello). The movie begins with Depp bursting into a motel room only to find his wife sleeping with another man, Ted (Timothy Hutton). The movie then fast fowards to 6 months later with Depp, who seems to have a bit of writers block, slothing on a couch in a tattered old robe. He is soon awaken by a knock at the door, Depp presues to answer it and finds John Shooter (John Turturro), a simple country man from mississippi, with a beat up script he claims Mr. Rainey plagerized. Rainey completely denies ever doing let alone ever meeting Shooter. Rainey closes the door on Shooter watches him leave in his car. Rainey opens the door to make sure the coast is clear and finds Shooter's script under a rock, he picks it up and brings it inside only to throw it immediately in the trash. Later Rainey's maid finds the story in the trash and takes it out. Rainey, disguisted with his maid, decides to take a look at the story anyway. He is suddenly started by what he reads and jumps back. He goes up stairs and pulls out one of his books and looks up a story of his to find in bewilderment that the story of Shooter is the exact same as his down to the word. Rainey and Shooter meet up and a war of 'who wrote it first' insues. Shooter claims he wrote his in 1997, but Rainey claims he had his published in 1995 in a mystery magazine. Shooter gives Rainey 3 days to retrieve this magazine and threatens his life if he doesn't. Eventually Rainey decides to go to the authorities to get help, but the local police aren't much help so he goes to a protection agency where he asks his friend Ken Karsh (Charles Dutton) to check his house for the next couple of nights prior to him getting home. Threats only get worse from here and with every person Rainey involves in the matter Shooter does something to tell Rainey to stop getting people involved in their matter. Rainey gets so deep into the involvement he is not to go to authorities anymore. And then, the final showdown between Rainey and Shooter begins. I'd have to say I was quite pleased with the way the suspense built up over time in the movie. Johnny Depp plays the role of Mort Rainey quite wonderfully, yet again showing Mr. Depp's versitility as an actor. Unfortunately though Depp and Turturro, I believe, were the only really well developed characters in the movie, but this doesn't cause a problem because the other actors and used sparingly throughout the movie. There is some humor thrown into the movie which fits accordingly and the arrangement of weapons isn't your usual arsenal; ranging from a screwdriver to a shovel. Towards the end it becomes increasingly clear what's going on and the average movie go-er won't be stuck with a load of questions, it's one of those near ending moments where you'll go 'aha I see!'. Of course it's nothing that hasn't been done before, although it's done very well and I'd still recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys suspense, dark humor, and just Johnny Depp's acting in general. Click here for the Official Movie website Click here to read other reviews

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