I'm not going to say a whole lot about David Koepp's SECRET WINDOW, based on a short story by Steven King, because the film's big downfall comes in the third act and involves one of the most contrived, convoluted twists in recent memory. You know how a good twist (think FIGHT CLUB or THE SIXTH SENSE) will make you think back over the entire movie and appreciate it even more? Well, the twist in SECRET WINDOW does just the opposite; the truth is, I enjoyed the first hour and a half, but because it amounts to virtually nothing it's hard to think back on it with any admiration.

The twist may have worked on the written page (I haven't read the source material, so I couldn't say) but it sure didn't up on the silver screen. Koepp also goes out of his way to throw in some completely unnecessary special effects, in a movie that had absolutely none up until that point. Ultimately, the film is a tribute to the talents of Johnny Depp, as he makes what could've been a terrible movie quite watchable (but still not good) even during the final fifteen minutes.

Posted March 19, 2004 | link