Misery (1990)

Wonderful character development!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

It is unpredictable. I've never read King's novel but I am a big fan of the movie base on his work.

A famous writer (played by James Caan) gets into an accident while driving through a blizzard and is rescued by his "number one fan" (chillingly played by Kathy Bates). With an injured shoulder and badly broken legs, Caan is bedridden and is cared for by Bates, who at first comes off as a guardian angel; but as time passes, she proves herself to be quite the opposite. Caan utilizes all the imagination of a brilliant writer to find an escape, but it may not be enough to counter Bates' devious mind.My most memorable, movie moment of "Misery" was the "hobbling" scene. No matter how many times I've seen it, it still makes me cringe.Rob Reiner does a good job of directing this Stephen King story. All the elements of a good suspense tale is here, and Bates' performance takes this movie to a higher level of quality.Mannysmemorablemoviemoments

Misery is either a case of a film being slightly outdated, or just built up too highly for me to thoroughly enjoy this Stephen King classic. Well-acted, tightly written and directed, but not nearly as memorable or terrifying as it was made out to be. Perhaps that's an unfair criticism, but expectations almost always factor into how enjoyable the film will be.Misery may very well be King's simplest film, taking place in mostly one setting, and only dealing with a few characters in total, but it sure seems like it's one of his more personal stories. James Caan plays a famous author, Paul Sheldon, who is "rescued" by his number one fan, Annie Wilkes, who turns out to be a little more devious and cruel than a typical fangirl. Not having read anything about King's original story, I don't know how much of this can be based (even in the slightest) on a true story. I know King was never captured by a fan and tortured in inexplicable ways, but there has to be some level of personal touch King is putting to this story. At the very least, this is a major fear of his.In that regard, Misery is brilliant, especially for a 21st century audience who are obsessed (and as connected with social media) with their celebrity crushes more than they ever have been before. The sheer obsession that is in Annie's mind (wonderfully played by Kathy Bates) is the crux of the story and is undeniably memorable. But I was honestly expecting the insanity to be even more over-the-top. Maybe that's just pop-culture's infatuation of Bates' creepy portrayal clouding my judgment, but it's true.In all, there's plenty to like in Rob Reiner's direction, the score, iconic performances, and various other tidbits of Misery, but I can't help but feel a little letdown by the overall intensity of the execution. I'm still waiting for that big moment to happen. It never came.7.0/10

(Originally reviewed: 27/03/2017) A very good horror picture with a chilling blend of suspense and atmosphere. It's well set, and mostly thrilling, Kathy Bates and James Caan give strong performances and Rob Reiner's direction is excellent; this is perhaps one of the best horror films of the 90's.