Is there a better streak in cinema history than Rob Reiner's between 1984 and 1992? In that time he directed 'This Is Spinal Tap' (1984), 'Stand By Me' (1986), 'The Princess Bride (1987), 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989), 'A Few Good Men' (1992) and, today's film, 'Misery' (1990). That is ridiculous. Not only are they all classics of cinema but they span across genres as well, from mockumentary comedies to adventure films and court room dramas to, in the case of todays film, thrillers. When talking about 'Misery' you do also have to shout out Stephen King whose book the film is based on, but it is Reiner who took it from the page and onto the screen and did a superb job. The film follows famed author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) who, after just completing his newest book, is caught in a snow storm and left for dead. He is saved by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) who takes him back to her farm house to nurse him back to health. She turns out to be a super fan of his, especially with his 'Misery' series, the final book of which has just come out. Despite seeming a nice person and helping him to recover, there is something ominous about Annie Wilkes. Paul soon finds this out when Annie finds that the new 'Misery' book kills off its title character, sending her into a mad rage of captivity and abuse, keeping Paul Sheldon hostage and forcing him to write 'Misery' back to life.
This film is unbelievably solid across the board. From a narrative aspect it is engrossing. Almost immediately the tension is high. Although Annie has saved Paul from certain death and seems like a bit of a hero there is very clearly something off with her right from the first moment we meet her and your suspicions are immediately raised. This doesn't stop the inevitable turn of Annie from being utterly shocking and horrifying. The film builds upon these moments to a tremendous climax and it means that your are in a state of complete tension for almost the entire runtime. The narrative build of tension is superb, but it is helped tremendously by the direction. This film does not try to be super creative in how it is shot, but it is very solid and uses the standard conventions of the genre brilliantly. Low angles, close ups and quick cuts all help to ratchet up moments of tension and horror to a point that I was nervous despite having seen the film several times before and knowing exactly where it is going. That is a sign of great direction. The film also has a tremendous sense of claustrophobia, with the main character trapped in a room and unable to move and the use of close ups coinciding with the small set really adds to this. The soundtrack also really helps in this regard. It is not a soundtrack that is necessarily memorable or one you fully notice when you watch, but it provides a constant undercurrent to the film which keeps the tension high and the stakes raised. Speaking of tension, there is a scene in this film which is one of the most tense in cinema history. The build up is immense with you unaware exactly what is going on but knowing it is something horrific. The build up is slow and pondering and with every verbal exchange you start to tense up more and more. By the time the reveal happens you are almost ready to throw up and what is your reward? One of the most horrific and spine tingling moments of physical horror in history. I won't spoil it here but if you know you know.
The acting in this film is one of its major strengths. There are 3 major performances in this film and all of them are absolutely top notch. Richard Farnsworth as Buster, the town's sheriff, is superb. He gives a performance that feels really genuine. You believe this man could be the sheriff of a small town through his cadence and general demeanor. The scenes where he interacts with Annie are where he is strongest as he is able to pull off a performance of a man who is playing nice and naive but with a constant air of suspicion. James Cann is also fantastic as Paul Sheldon. It is not really all that surprising as James Cann is a terrific actor but you feel everything. You feel his anguish, his pain, his anger. All of it is portrayed brilliantly and it makes you route for the character 100%. However, the star of the show is undoubtedly Kathy Bates. She is simply flawless as Annie Wilkes. Not many performances get a real visceral reaction out of me but this is one of them because I wanted to see Annie dead and that is all down to Kathy Bates. The way she switches from overly nice and creepy to absolute full blown psychotic on a dime is fantastic. The moments where she is at her best, however, are why she is in between the two. The moments where she becomes almost monotone and there seems to be nothing behind her eyes. This is where she is at her scariest. This is when she is most threatening. She is simply faultless in my opinion and without her the film is not the classic that it has become. She is also received an Oscar for this performance and it is totally deserved.
'Misery' is not Rob Reiner's best work, nor is it the best film based on a Stephen King property (we will get to that down the line) but it is still an excellent film. On a technical level it is very solid. It grasps the conventions of the genre brilliantly using angles, lighting and music to ratchet up tension as well as any thriller. But it is the performances in the film which raise it from good to great. Caan and Farnsworth are both brilliant, but Kathy Bates is on another level in this film. She puts in a performance which elevates Annie Wilkes to being one of the best 'boogeymen' in cinema history. Without her the film is a lot worse off and that is undeniable. It is a definite recommend from me, as are all the Rob Reiner films I previously mentioned. Make it into a marathon. Lets face it, we all have the time to.