Secret Window

I was eager to watch this movie when it first came out on DVD in 2004, and was quite happy to re-watch it this evening. The movie involves two of my favorite people: Johnny Depp and Stephen King. Secret Window is based on a short story by King and like most “King Movies” the book is better, but the movie has its charms.

Secret Window stars Johnny Depp as a famous author, Mort Rainey. In flashbacks, we discover Rainey and his wife are in the midst of a contentious divorce. He caught her cheating and left her. He is now living alone at their vacation home. Riddled with depression, Rainey spends his days sleeping until he is visited by a stranger making outrageous claims about plagiarism.

As the movie progresses, the stranger, played to perfection by John Turturro, threatens Mort, kills his dog and burns down the main house (where his estranged wife still lives). The stranger is just getting started and things get increasingly tense with each passing day. It is clear to everyone that Mort is cracking from the strain.

I’ll refrain from giving you the ending, but the movie illustrates the thin line between love and hate. It also shows us that sanity can be a very fleeting and fluid concept, even in the most ordinary of citizens.

Secret Window gets four stars. The novella entitled, Secret Window, Secret Garden published in the collection Four Past Midnight, provides a richer experience, but the movie is quite good. Depp and Turturro are very well cast, the pacing is quick and the shocks keep you reeling.

Michelle D. Kieffaber

The Secret Window

The Secret Window

This mind-bending thriller, written and directed by David Koepp, features two top-notched actors in Johnny Depp and John Turturro. Depp and Turturro bring to life Mort Rainey and John Shooter with the ease and beauty of an artist painting a masterpiece. Koepp certainly selected the appropriate cast members for this adaptation of Stephen King’s “Secret Window, Secret Garden.”

The movie begins with Mort discovering his wife having an affair. After a few brief moments, the film fast-forwards to six months later and Rainey sleeping on his tattered couch. Apparently, from the look of Depp, he has been spending many tortured days on the sofa trying to get over his wife’s infidelity and his apparent writer’s block.

No sooner than we realize that Mort is a world famous author, John Shooter (Turturro) shows up at the front door to accuse him of stealing his story. As would be assumed, Rainey denies that he has plagiarized the man’s work. The tall, imposing, creepy, hat-wearing stranger leaves his manuscript behind for Rainey to review with the promise that he would return to set things straight.

Throughout the movie Rainey flashes back to moments in his relationship with his wife. He also develops an understandable hatred for her boyfriend who seems to be around at the most inopportune times. Although proceeding somewhat amicably with their divorce, Mort develops an inability to sign the separation agreement, much to the dismay of his soon-to-be ex-wife and her new found soul mate.

As the film progresses, Shooter makes several more appearances threatening Rainey and those he loves. John conveys, in not so subtle terms, that he wants Rainey to re-write the ending to the story (the way it had originally been written) and name him the story’s author. As Mort attempts to prove he wrote the story before Shooter, gruesome and inexplicable events begin to transpire. Rainey’s world quickly spirals out of control and John Shooter begins to infiltrate every aspect of his life.

The ending is not all too shocking; however, it fits exactly with how this movie portrayed itself, which is to say a little slow and banal. If not for the beautiful setting and superb acting, this movie would have been a colossal failure. I was deeply disappointed in this film and may even go as far as saying that I will never get that one hour and thirty minutes of my life back. The film moved at a snails pace and really didn’t get to the point of actually being a thriller. If I had to make a suggestion, only watch this movie if you absolutely have nothing better to do! This motion picture gets 2 stars because, Depp and Turturro gave some very convincing performances even with a shallow and unimagined script. If you ever have a chance to see Secret Window, you may want to sneak out of it!

That’s How Matt Sees It!

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

To celebrate the life and career of Elizabeth Taylor, I re-watched the classic Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. This movie is based on a play by Tennessee Williams and brilliantly showcases Ms. Taylor in her prime. Also in his prime, is Paul Newman as her husband. In their heyday, I can’t imagine two more gorgeous people than Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, and the bonus is they can act.

In the movie, Paul Newman plays a good time party boy (Brick) who has fallen out of love with his wife (Maggie) and into the bottle. They return to Brick’s boyhood home to celebrate the birthday of his father, Big Daddy. Also in attendance are Brick’s mother, brother, sister-in-law and his annoying nieces and nephews.

All is not well in this household. There is tension between every member of the family. Much of the tension stems from the pending disposition of Big Daddy’s estate. Big Daddy has cancer but doesn’t realize he is terminal. The tension mounts as a storm builds outside. As the storm breaks, so do the emotional dams in the house. Buried secrets (including Big Daddy’s diagnosis) come to the surface and the tension inside abates as the storm eases.

In the end, airing the secrets allow the family dynamics to strengthen and heal. The marriage between Brick and Maggie is salvaged and Big Daddy’s desires for his legacy will be heeded.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof gets five solid stars. The acting is superb, the direction flawless and the cinematography captivating. This movie really makes me miss the early stars of Hollywood. I don’t think there will ever be another Paul Newman or Elizabeth Taylor. The movie shouldn’t be missed.

Michelle D. Kieffaber

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

     This adaptation of Tennessee William’s classic play is nothing short of miraculous. Director and writer, Richard Brooks, not only brought the play to life on the silver screen, he also cast the parts with the biggest names in Hollywood at the time. If I’m being completely truthful, I had never watched an Elizabeth Taylor movie. Wow, was I missing out!

     The movie begins with Brick (Paul Newman) reliving his glory days as he hurdles down the track and finally crashes to the ground in a drunken stupor. From the onset of this film, it is clear that Brick has a severe alcoholic addiction, which has taken over his very being. We are quickly transported to the next day and our leading man drowning his sorrows on his sofa with his foot in a cast. His wife, Maggie “the cat” (Taylor), enters and begins a conversation with her betrothed. Through their interaction, it is apparent that there is trouble in paradise and reconciliation does not appear to be an option. This is unfortunate as the couple are spending time at Brick’s parents home to celebrate his father’s birthday and to be there for support as Big Daddy (Burl Ives) receives the news of his current health condition.

     Brick is withdrawn and would have preferred not to return to speak to his father. However, because of the news of his father’s health and through the insistence of Maggie, he reluctantly agrees to attend the celebration. During the time with this dysfunctional family, we get a glimpse of why Brick has developed some, if not all, of his personality traits. The one most glaring trait is how similar he and his father treat their wives. That apple didn’t fall too far from the tree! His father, a narcissistic and uncaring person, considers himself a self-made man. Throughout the entire film, the father shows his favoritism towards Brick and all but ignores his other son. This creates friction between the two wives, who generally want to be included in Big Daddy’s will if and when he meets his demise.

     The story takes a unique twist as the father finds out that he is in-fact going to die an early death. He reflects on his life, with Brick, and they discuss his lack of love for the family. In the process, Big Daddy remembers his father who he indicates was a lonely hobo who couldn’t leave his son anything but a suitcase with some worthless clothes. He and Brick reflect on how his father left him with love, which is much greater than the vast fortune he is about to bestow upon his family. They both have an epiphany about the love for father and son, in addition to the love they have for their wives.

     Cat On A Hot Tin Roof should be viewed by all! This is an impeccable film that delivers on every level. Elizabeth Taylor was stunning in not only her performance, but in her sheer elegance and beauty throughout this film. Newman captured his role with the gusto worthy of an Oscar. This film took sultry and sexy to an entirely different level without being cheap and raunchy. I give it a solid five-star rating. In addition, I believe I am a Liz Taylor fan! If you’ve never seen Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, it’s a definite must see classic. Oddly enough, as Taylor passed away this year she has left us with more than just a suitcase. She has left a legacy of amazing films that will forever hold her place in American film history. Did I mention that I loved this movie! I have no idea how this movie missed out on an Oscar. Unthinkable!

That's How Matt Sees It!

Secondhand Lions

This is the kind of family movie I can appreciate. I had already seen Secondhand Lions when Matt asked me to review it; I was eager to watch it again.

The movie stars Michael Caine and Robert Duvall, two incredible actors, as eccentric brothers who are supposedly sitting on a small fortune. Walter is sent to live with his uncles by his mentally-absent mother. She asks him to find the fortune while she is in school. Unfortunately, Walter finds out that his mother has lied to him (nothing new) and is not attending school.

While he finds living with his uncles rough in the beginning, he get hooked on the stories they tell. If the stories are to be believed, his uncles were enlisted into the French Foreign Legion and fought many battles in Africa. His uncle, Hub, even fell in love with an Arabian princess and stole her from an evil sheik.

Once Walter has adjusted to living with his uncles he finds stability and peace for the first time in his life. No one has ever had time for Walter; his uncles have nothing but time. Predictably, once Walter finds happiness his mother returns and tries to remove him from his only true home. He begs her to stay and for once his mother puts him first and allows him to return to his beloved uncles.

In the end, the uncles die while attempting to fly an antique plane through the barn. Walter returns to the house and is not surprised to find the uncles have left their fortune to him. He is, however, surprised to find out their stories had all been true.

This movie is a gem. The comedy is real, not slapstick, it is shot beautifully and acted with a quiet grace. I not only give Secondhand Lions five stars, I highly recommend it to everyone, kids and grown-ups.

Michelle D. Kieffaber

Dunstin Checks In

I was not looking forward to watching this movie. I don’t have kids so I’m not a huge fan of family movies. I should always trust my instincts. Dunstin Checks In is not a terrible movie, but it is very formulaic.

The movie begins when we witness two adorable kids playing elaborate pranks in the lobby of a five star hotel. They happen to be the sons of the resident manager and live in the hotel. They are bored because Dad works too much and Mom has died.

The father promises to spend time with them once the major social event of the year, The Crystal Ball (pun intended, I’m sure) concludes. Unfortunately, the owners of the hotel have different plans for dad. Meanwhile the kids are grounded, however, they refuse to stay in the apartment.

While out and about, the little kid notices a monkey has checked into the hotel with a shady man. Of course none of the adults believe there is actually a monkey in the hotel. Therefore, the monkey and children are left to save the hotel from the exploits of the “bad man.” Yes, the hero of this movie is the monkey.

As a reward for capturing the villain, the father gets a promotion to a job where he can spend more time with the kids and … the monkey.

I’ll begrudgingly give the movie two stars. It wasn’t terrible, but there was nothing new and different. I didn’t find myself laughing at all.

Michelle D. Kieffaber

Secondhand Lions

Secondhand Lions

     Although this film is a little too sweet, Secondhand Lions is a funny, heart-warming, and charming movie that the entire family can enjoy. Haley Joel Osment stars in this film about truth and coming of age. Robert Duvall, Michael Caine, and Kyra Sedgwick round out the star-studded cast necessary to pull off this interesting if not eccentric movie.

     Secondhand Lions starts off with a phone call to Walter to let him know that both of his uncles have passed away. The story quickly shifts to his flashback of how he met and got to know these two interesting characters during a summer of self-reflection and discovery. Walter recalls the awkward trip to his great uncles’ farm with his unstable mother.

     When Walter and his mother, Mae (Sedgwick), arrive at the farm she informs her son that their visit is a surprise. The duo find Hub (Duvall) and Garth (Caine) shotgun-fishing in the pond. After explaining her situation, the two brothers seem reluctant about keeping Walter; however, Mae is unfazed by their lack of interest and just instructs her son to be on the look out for a rumored stash of cash that her uncles have amassed over time. Once she has given her final instructions, our Mother-Of-The-Year drives out of her child’s life and does not look back.

     As the movie progresses, we get a glimpse into each character and what makes them tick. Hub represents the strong alpha male who is coming to grips with his age and feelings of uselessness. Garth, on the other hand, is the glue that keeps the brothers together and grounded. Walter begins to bond with Garth and becomes concerned with Hub’s well-being. In order to help explain Hub’s state of mind, Garth reveals the story of their 40-year disappearance.

     So, where does the name of the movie come from? Well, since the two brothers do not have a phone, radio, or television they have to entertain themselves in some way. They have a lion delivered to their farm so that they can enjoy some big game hunting. However, when the aged circus lion arrives the brothers do not have the heart to shoot the beast. Osment befriends the lion and allows it to live in the closest thing to a jungle available, which is the corn field. Not surprisingly, the lion and Osment take on a mother and cub role, which culminates in the lion, Jasmine, giving up her life to save Walter.

     Ultimately, this movie delivered some great performances by some very good actors. Some have said that Osment was a distraction to this movie and I could not disagree more, I think he did a great job in relating to each and every character. There may have been a scene or two that were over-acted a bit, but it did not detract from the movie. I would rate this movie 3.5 stars. The only reason it was not a solid 4 was because the ongoing story about the brothers disappearance was a bit cheesy, which in retrospect was probably intentional. If you are looking for an exceptional family movie, I would highly recommend Secondhand Lions. It’s a roaring good time!

That's How Matt Sees It!