Secret Window Blu-ray offers decent video and great audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Academy Award nominee Johnny Depp (2003 Best Actor, Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black Pearl) gives his most riveting performance in this action/suspense thriller
featuring a top-notch cast including John Turturro, Maria Bello, Academy Award winner
Timothy Hutton (1981 Best Supporting Actor, Ordinary People) and Charles S. Dutton.
Following a bitter separation from his wife (Bello), famed mystery writer Mort Rainey
(Depp) is unexpectedly confronted at his remote lake house by a dangerous stranger named
John Shooter (Turturro). Claiming Rainey has plagiarized his short story, the psychotic
Shooter demands justice. When Shooter's demands turn to threats - and then murder -
Rainey turns to a private detective (Dutton) for help. But when nothing stops the horror
from spiraling out of control, Rainey soon discovers he can't trust anyone or anything. A
shocking psychological thriller from the writer of Panic Room, David Koepp.
I know what you did, and I ain't quittin' until right gets put right.
Secret Window is far from the top of the pack of Stephen King stories turned major
motion
pictures, but like most of the famed author's works, it makes for, at minimum, an intriguing,
engaging, and moderately-paced watch. This Johnny Depp (the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) vehicle features just the right tone, offering viewers a sufficient level of suspense as
a
theme of terror-turned-paranoia permeates most every frame of the film. The movie is not too
violent, not
too coarse, not too bloody, not overly scary, but slightly bothersome. It won't keep viewers up
all night in fear, but it may keep them up far into the wee hours as they ponder the plot, the
role of each character in the film, how they may handle such a scenario as presented in the film,
and, of
course, the resolution, a resolution that isn't overly hinted at throughout the movie, but doesn't
come as all that much of a surprise, either. Secret Window makes for fair
entertainment. Audiences will get their money's worth, but not much more.
Talk about a thousand-yard stare...
Author Mort Rainey (Depp) finds himself the subject of a stalker named John Shooter (John
Turturro, (Anger Management)
who claims that Mort's short story, Secret Window, was plagiarized, the manuscript and
original idea written by Shooter before the story's publication under Mort's name. Although
Shooter provides a date of writing that falls two years after Mort's version was published, he
doesn't take "no" for an answer, demanding proof that Mort's story was indeed published when
he claims it was. Mort must solicit his soon-to-be ex-wife Amy (Maria Bello, Coyote Ugly) to send
him the issue of the magazine in which it was published, but he finds his relationship with her
strained thanks to the presence of
her new boyfriend, Ted (Timothy Hutton, Last Holiday).
Soon, Shooter begins to make his grudge personal, killing Mort's dog, targeting his friends and
associates, and demanding Mort re-write the story to include his original ending and have it
published under his name. The two men enter a battle of wits as Shooter drives Mort to the edge
of his own sanity.
Secret Window unravels slowly and deliberately. It's like an open buffet of varied
Mystery and Horror styles, placing on its plate a little bit of everything. The film at first playing as
something of a battle of wits between two men determined that their version of the truth is, well,
the truth. As the story progresses, it takes on the tone of a suspenseful Thriller. Once the crux
of the plot is developed and the characters are established, the film becomes a guessing game of
sorts as audiences take in the evidence, evidence that is only verbally and not physically
presented by the antagonist and protagonist, choosing sides and attempting to figure out the real
angle the picture is headed towards. Finally, Secret Window becomes a rather intense
Horror picture as truths begin to reveal themselves, truths that shatter lives and, the filmmakers
hope, the preconceptions and theories the audience has developed over the first two acts.
Secret Window doesn't offer any sort of Earth-shattering plot and revelation. It's done
just well enough to mask the outcome, and will reward repeat viewings in the search for clues
throughout. Ultimately, however, the movie isn't quite good enough to watch more than once or
twice, but the initial viewing should keep interest high enough from beginning to end.
It should come as no surprise that Secret Window's secret weapon comes in the acting.
Although the script is sufficiently intense thanks to the Stephen King touch, the performances of
the primary cast -- notably Johnny Depp and John Turturro -- make this film worth watching.
Depp once again manages to completely immerse himself in a role, looking like anyone but
himself, completely selling the audience that he is in fact Mort Rainey. He shares this
uncanny ability with few actors working today, chief among them Gary Oldman (The Fifth Element).
John Turturro has never delivered a subpar performance no matter the role, his level of
involvement in the film, or the style of character he is asked to portray. From Miller's
Crossing to Transformers, the
actor is consistently at the top of his game, and he delivers yet another first-class performance in
Secret Window. Here, he plays a quirky Mississippian with both a grudge and a
secret that is revealed only at film's end. In light of the revelation, the character makes for quite
the challenge, but Turturro, as always, answers the call and turns in a noteworthy effort. Finally,
Charles
S. Dutton, one of his generation's finest character actors, delivers yet another commendable
supporting
performance in Secret Window.
Secret Window comes to Blu-ray with an MPEG-2 encoded 1080p transfer presented in a
2.35:1 aspect ratio. This is a slightly above-average high definition transfer, with a decent level of
clarity and fine detail in most every scene. There are plenty of nice intricacies and nooks and
crannies to discover in Mort's home. The old, heavy wooden furniture; his frayed robe; and the
cloth-covered sofas and chairs offer suitable textures and an adequate level of visible detail. Colors
are nicely
rendered. They are neither too warm nor too dulled, most appearing just right for whatever setting
each scene calls for. Other segments of the film, those taking place outside of Depp's home, look a
bit brighter and better detailed than those in his rather dark and somewhat musty abode, though
not
significantly so. Flesh tones are accurately rendered. Black levels are iffy at times, looking just a
shade gray here and there, but they are generally acceptable. There is a slight bit of grain over the
image, and some noise to be seen in one or two of the brighter backdrops seen in the movie. At
this point in the life of Blu-ray, Secret Window will not wow anyone accustomed to the high
definition visuals the format is capable of delivering, but it won't disappoint longtime viewers, either.
Sony opens Secret Window on Blu-ray with a quality PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack.
The track offers excellent fidelity and clarity as the music pours nicely from the front speakers,
though with little rear channel support. Directional effects are good; a knocking at Mort's door
early
in the film is heard distinctly in the front right speaker, placing the sound precisely in relation to
the
imagery. Oftentimes, much of the soundtrack is so subtly placed and replicated that it sounds
perfectly natural, with ambience blending nicely into the track at various stages throughout the
film. The chirping of insects and birds and all the varied sounds of nature play like they are
literally
alive inside the listening area. Such atmospherics seemingly come from every direction and
make
for one of the better purely-atmospheric tracks available on Blu-ray. A hint of bass accompanies
the
music in the film's most tense sequences. Generally, bass is not strong enough to shake the
foundation, but it is just
enough to lend a creepy and subtle foreboding tone to the scenes it accompanies. The film's
finale offers a few more powerful, deeper effects that play in stark contrast to the more subtle
nuances
of the track offered in the first two acts. Dialogue delivery is clear and crisp in every scene.
Secret Window offers a fine lossless soundtrack that is one of the more subtly effective
ones to date.
Secret Window reveals some of the mysteries behind the film through the inclusion of
several bonus materials. A commentary track with Screenwriter/Director David Koepp headlines
the
package. He offers a genuine, honest track, sharing his thoughts on the filmmaking process,
some of the subtleties of the visuals that help clue viewers in as to what is to come, the shooting
schedule and shooting locations, and more. Koepp covers all the bases, keeps the track flowing
and interesting, and should satisfy fans with the delivery and content of his comments. Three
featurettes are next. From Book to Film (480p, 19:07) begins with director David Koepp
discussing what drew him to the story and continues with cast and crew discussing their roles in
the film and the themes of the story. A Look Through It (480p, 29:41) is a piece that
focuses on the making of the film, showcasing artistic decisions, shooting locations, and more,
again with heavy doses of Director David Koepp. Secrets Revealed (480p, 14:02)
examines the film's climax in-depth. Animatics (480p, 7:09) is a series of four
collections of
computer-rendered shots that aided the filmmakers in determining how certain scenes should
look. Concluding the special features are four deleted scenes (480p, 6:03), two of which feature
optional director's commentary, and a 1080p trailer for The Covenant.
Secret Window is one of those movies that's not too good but not too bad. It offers no
readily-identifiable strengths, save for the above-average performances of its pair of stars, and it
certainly never embarrasses itself at any point during its runtime. It just sort of exists in its own
little corner of the video store, minding its own business, consistently being shunned in favor of
shiner, bigger-budget, higher-grossing blockbusters. It's like the middle-aged cat in the back of the
pet store; nobody "oohs" and "aahs" over it as they do the kittens in the window, but that cat will
make a very nice, dependable, if not average, pet. Secret Window is worth a chance, and
should satisfy most audiences until it's time for the release of the next smash hit. Secret
Window arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony with good results. The disc sports a nice looking
transfer, a subtle yet highly effective lossless audio track, and a few bonus materials. Fans of the
film or its star should be happy to give this disc a loving home, while others may be best served to
rescue it from the doldrums of the rental store every now and again.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) today announced that the blockbuster Bond title Casino Royale, released March 13 on Blu-ray Disc, has hit the 100,000 units shipped mark and is setting records at retail for greatest number of high-definition copies sold ...
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