Cinema Consults: SECRET WINDOW

This film, which can be rentedfrom your local video store, israted on a scale of 1 to 4 caducei:

SECRET WINDOW

Secret Window,

Secret Garden

The Shawshank Redemption

Stand

by Me

The Shining

(2004):Our senior associateeditor, GraceHenry, told me,"Don't watch thismovie alone atnight, especiallywhen it's raining."Granted, she claimsto be easily spookedby "scary movies,"but there is definitely a thriller qualityabout this film. Based on StevenKing's novella, , this film tells the taleof a slothful writer, Mort Rainey(Johnny Depp), who is unexpectedlytormented by John Shooter (JohnTurturro), an eerie man who claimsthat Rainey has plagiarized his story.Depp, as always, gives a good performance,but it isn't enough to savethe lackluster script. The plot wasenough to get me hooked and keepme on the edge of my seat, but Ivery quickly slipped into boredomover the predictability of the storyline—although I must admit, I didnot expect the fate of some of theother characters in the movie.Overall, the movie is about thepower and the danger that existwithin a writer's imagination; onthe one hand, the writer can createart, on the other hand, they cansimply be consumed by it. It's not abad way to spend some time, butdon't expect a film at the level of, , or —three otherscreenplays adapted from the worksof Steven King.

Rating: 2

Lisa A. Tomaszewski,managing editor

of Physician's Money Digest, is currently

working on her PhD in literature at

Drew University in New Jersey. She is

an avid fan of film and has taught a

summer film course at Fairleigh

Dickinson University. She welcomes

questions, comments, or suggestions for

future film reviews at 732-656-1140

ext 195 or ltomaszewski@mwc.com.