Secret Window Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Secret Window Blu-ray Movie Review

An interesting Thriller comes to Blu-ray as a solid package from Sony.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 20, 2009

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Secret Window Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.