Tag: misery

directed by Rob Reiner

We’ve recently lost James Caan, a wonderful actor that shall be remembered for a long time. That is why I’d like to recommend you a film which may remind you of his skills and charm, and which is also one of my beloved thrillers ever made. It’s actually a story based on the book by Stephen King titled just like the film – “Misery”. I can still recall reading it when I was yet a child and it was actually my first book by King, so imagine the intensity of that experience. Right after finishing the book, I watched this adaptation and even though there are differences between them in the plot, I loved both. But for those who haven’t heard of it, let me introduce you to the story: we get to meet Paul Sheldon (James Caan), a famous novelist who’s gained a lot of fans thanks to his series about Misery, a woman living in the Victorian era. However, the man is already tired of writing the romance, therefore he decides to kill the well-known character in his newest book and focus on different genres. Unfortunately, while driving he gets into an accident and is saved by Annie (Kathy Bates), a nurse from a small town. And I’m not sure which part of the previous sentence was worse for Paul. As he wakes up at Annie’s home, he finds out that the woman is his huge fan and it’s true honour for her to be taking care of the novelist. Paul is feeling incredibly lucky as Annie helps him in the recovery until… she reads his newest book. Yes, the one where Paul kills Misery. And the hell begins… Not going to say more because I think everyone should either read the book or watch the film, or both. The story seems simple, yet King knows how to describe even small actions to make you feel extremely uncomfortable. Plus, Caan and Bates were the perfect choice for these two roles and they really cooperated well on the screen. You don’t only see their huge talent, but also hypnotising chemistry between them. Especially considering the fact that one of the characters is an insane murderer, but anything is possible in the world of cinema, right? Also, I love the camerawork in this production as it really builds up the tension and most modern filmmakers can’t do the same nowadays. Notice how individual shots make you perceive the whole situation more intensively. At least that’s for me. Anyway, you should definitely take a moment to see this production even if you’re worried that it might be too scary. Personally, I think the book is much more hardcore and the film adaptation is still kept as a thriller. By the way, Kathy Bates was awarded an Oscar for this role, so it’s a must-see, in my opinion, but I believe James Caan wasn’t out of the spotlight that much. That is why I think it’s a perfect film to remember him. Thank you for your charm.

My rating: 9/10
S.