Misery
If this was made today, he'd be a blogger
Some of the
scariest horror movies ever have no monsters in them. Movies like
Psycho, Silence Of The Lambs, Audition, and Cape Fear have terrified
audiences for years without the need for anything supernatural. Sure,
vampires, zombies, and demons can give us jolts and make us worry
about darkened corners, but Man is usually the scariest villain. By
having a human as a horror films antagonist, it creates a sense of
realism that no amount of makeup or special effects can equal. Of
course, it doesn't hurt when Stephen King is doing the writing.
Based on the novel
by Stephen King, Misery is a 1990 psychological horror movie starring
James Caan (The Godfather, Rollerball) as famed novelist Paul
Sheldon. Paul's series of novels based on a character named Misery
Chastain is highly successful, but Paul feels the need to branch out.
After finishing his new novel in Silver Creek, Colorado, Paul starts
to drive back to Los Angeles when he gets caught in a blizzard. The
white-out conditions cause Paul's car to go off-road and crash. He is
rescued by a nurse named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates, Titanic, Fried
Green Tomatoes) who claims to be his biggest fan. She takes Paul back
to her isolated home to care for him since he has broken both of his
legs. He wants to call his publicist and his daughter, but Annie
tells him the phone lines are down. Initially, Annie appears to be
friendly, if a little quirky, but her harsh nature is soon revealed.
After purchasing Paul's latest book, Annie has an angry outburst
after reading that Misery has been killed off and locks Paul in his
room. Meanwhile, the local sherrif, Buster (Richard Farnsworth, The
Grey Fox, The Straight Story) investigates Paul's disappearance,
discovering his snow-covered car. While others believe Paul died
somewhere in the woods, Buster believes that someone pulled him from
the car and rescued him. The next day, Annie reads Paul's latest
manuscript and is not happy. She forces Paul to burn it, insisting
that when he is better, he can rewrite something worthy of the Misery
series. Fearing for his life, Paul begins to write a new story and
tries to stay on Annie's good side. One day when Annie leaves the
house to go into town, Paul manages to escape his room and steals
painkillers from a closet. He tries to drug her with a glass of wine,
but she spills it before she can drink any. During another escape,
Paul discovers a scrapbook of Annie's filled with newspaper clippings
describing infant death's at a local hospital and Annie's subsequent
trial. Knowing that Paul will never love her the way she loves him,
Annie breaks Paul's ankles in brutal fashion. How will Paul be able
to escape and will Buster find him before it is too late?
It could be worse. I could've been in the Rollerball remake
Misery takes what
is essentially a very simple story and crafts a thrilling and
horrifying tale. The characters are all believable, which makes truly
scary. Paul's vulnerability throughout the majority of the movie and
his dependence on Annie create a palatable anxiety. Without her help,
Paul will die, but her brand of “help” is just as dangerous. The
movie gets to the point quickly and keeps the excitement going with a
fast pace. Annie's insanity isn't obvious at first, but we get enough
of a drip so that the horror grows exponentially. There are a few
traditional jump-at-you scares, but most of the fear comes from
knowing that Paul is helpless. He is surrounded by an atmosphere of
dread never quite knowing what will happen, but sure that
something will happen. The audience wants to help Paul escape,
but we are just as helpless as he is. While a majority of the movie
is based on psychology, there are still some very violent scenes.
Annie “hobbling” Paul with a sledgehammer is extremely vicious
and difficult to watch. We may not see blood and gore, but we're
given just enough to be completed horrified, with the rest left to
our imagination.
It's true that the
story is good, but it's the execution that puts Misery over the top.
James Caan and Kathy Bates are absolutely fantastic, together and
separately. The majority of the movie is just the interaction between
both of them. With lesser actors, the movie would not have been able
to succeed, but they are so incredibly strong in their roles that
nothing else is really needed. There's a good reason why Kathy Bates
won an Academy Award for her role as Annie. She is so incredibly good
that it is almost hard to separator her from the role. She is able to
flip the crazy switch at a moments notice, going from loving
caregiver to raging lunatic in a split-second. James Caan is equally
as great in his role. He is essentially the audience's avatar and he
is able to convince us to feel the way he does. Every painful
movement, every fearful glance just increases the horror and fear.
Director Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me) is incredibly
comfortable in a movie that is outside his usual comfort zone. His
direction is smart with no scenes being wasted or unnecessary.
Hammer time!
Misery is a movie
that grabs that audience and never lets go. It is a thriller, a
chiller, and a psychological horror movie all wrapped in a neat,
disturbing little bow. No supernatural creature is needed to make
this movie scary as a human being is scary enough. The story is
simple, but compelling with good scares and action. There isn't a lot
of violence compared to other horror movies, but what violence is
shown is extreme. Kathy Bates and James Caan are both superb and I
feel that the movie wouldn't have been as good without their talent.
Rob Reiner creates an intense atmosphere that compels the audience to
keep watching and hoping for Paul's escape. While it may not be one
of the first movies to come to mind when thinking of all-time great
horror movies, Misery certainly belongs there. From start to finish,
it is scary and entertaining.
10/10
Awesome movie
ReplyDelete