this swaybacked thriller plods along predictably and with surprisingly little fear displayed by the main character
But the basic premise is simple. The writer is besieged by a man claiming he stole the story (never mind that the publisher isn´t alerted, or attorneys aren´t even called), he´s still bitter over his wife´s cuckolding of him, and he´s blocked like a beaver dam when it comes to writing. He calls his private investigator friend, who looks into things, and the not-so-happy triangle ends up in front of their lawyers talking about division of property. Shooter keeps appearing with more and more frequency, there are a few killings, and then . . . . Well, all those loose ends and things that came unraveled finally start to come together. The ending IS suspenseful, and the performances are first-rate. So is the photography and editing, with Koepp using a multitude of harsh camera angles to complement the fog-saddled New England scenery (filmed on location, actually, in a small town near Montreal). And you know, Depp is always fun to watch. He's probably the most gifted actor of his generation, and his performance here is rock-solid.
Video:
The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1 aspect ratio) color and mastered in High Definition—which is good, because the film stock Koepp used was fine enough grain to provide clear images, even in low light and haze.
Audio:
Audio options are English and French Dolby Digital 5.1, with English and French subtitles (the film was, after all, made in Quebec) and the director´s commentary track. There's plenty of ambient sounds (knocks on the door, rustling trees, etc.) scattered among the main and back speakers, which can be just as startling as some of the film's developments.
Extras:
Just as the film was good but not great, so go the extras. The best among them are four deleted scenes playable with or without commentary and including an alternate ending. Also decent is Koepp´s low-key commentary, where it´s fascinating to hear him keep talking about the differences between the early days of making thrillers ala Hitchcock versus nowadays. What was simple in the Forties is complex now and takes twice as long and costs twice as much. Is the overall effect worth it? You´ll be surprised at Koepp´s answer. It´s also pretty interesting that he recorded the commentary remarks 10 days prior to the film´s theatrical release, so he had no idea whether the film bombed or was well received. There are some nice anecdotes about the crew (including trivia such as the placement of Tom Robbins´ books on the shelves at Depp´s request, that Depp wanted to wear braces not just at the end but throughout the film), and that the dog in the picture really was an old blind dog.
Other extras include three featurettes (one of them titled "Secrets Revealed," so don´t make the mistake of watching the extras before you see the film) that are pretty par for the course, no earthshaking disclosures and, by contrast, nothing too inane. There are also four animatics (computer-generated mock-ups) that Koepp used, and trailers.
Bottom Line:
There are moments when you´ll have flashbacks to Depp´s performance as Capt. Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean," but by and large he convincingly plays a grungy, un-kept writer (boy, did they save money on HIS wardrobe) still reeling from an unfaithful wife. Director Koepp creates a credible mood and an intriguing screenplay version of King´s novella. If only it didn´t take so long for things to unfold. Viewers may find themselves lulled into the same "so what?" complacency that the characters display, until things get rolling toward the end. Even if it´s by design, there´s only so much Depp can do rattling around This Old House.
Video:
The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1 aspect ratio) color and mastered in High Definition—which is good, because the film stock Koepp used was fine enough grain to provide clear images, even in low light and haze.
Audio:
Audio options are English and French Dolby Digital 5.1, with English and French subtitles (the film was, after all, made in Quebec) and the director´s commentary track. There's plenty of ambient sounds (knocks on the door, rustling trees, etc.) scattered among the main and back speakers, which can be just as startling as some of the film's developments.
Extras:
Just as the film was good but not great, so go the extras. The best among them are four deleted scenes playable with or without commentary and including an alternate ending. Also decent is Koepp´s low-key commentary, where it´s fascinating to hear him keep talking about the differences between the early days of making thrillers ala Hitchcock versus nowadays. What was simple in the Forties is complex now and takes twice as long and costs twice as much. Is the overall effect worth it? You´ll be surprised at Koepp´s answer. It´s also pretty interesting that he recorded the commentary remarks 10 days prior to the film´s theatrical release, so he had no idea whether the film bombed or was well received. There are some nice anecdotes about the crew (including trivia such as the placement of Tom Robbins´ books on the shelves at Depp´s request, that Depp wanted to wear braces not just at the end but throughout the film), and that the dog in the picture really was an old blind dog.
Other extras include three featurettes (one of them titled "Secrets Revealed," so don´t make the mistake of watching the extras before you see the film) that are pretty par for the course, no earthshaking disclosures and, by contrast, nothing too inane. There are also four animatics (computer-generated mock-ups) that Koepp used, and trailers.
Bottom Line:
There are moments when you´ll have flashbacks to Depp´s performance as Capt. Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean," but by and large he convincingly plays a grungy, un-kept writer (boy, did they save money on HIS wardrobe) still reeling from an unfaithful wife. Director Koepp creates a credible mood and an intriguing screenplay version of King´s novella. If only it didn´t take so long for things to unfold. Viewers may find themselves lulled into the same "so what?" complacency that the characters display, until things get rolling toward the end. Even if it´s by design, there´s only so much Depp can do rattling around This Old House.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]12181[/release]