MOVIERAPTURE

Misery (1990)
Directed by Rob Reiner

Artistic & Entertainment Value
* * *

DVD

Synopsis
Rob Reiner's Misery is a well acted thriller about a writer (James Caan) who, having crashed his car on a country road in the middle of a snowstorm, is rescued and then held captive by an obsessed fan (Kathy Bates).

Analysis
Despite the general predictability of the plot and the use of numerous hackneyed tension creating techniques, Misery is successful in building up a sense of suspenseful anxiety. Although I knew the outcome of each tense situation as soon as it began, having seen the same thing in many other movies, I did, nevertheless, feel anxiety. The same can be said for the movie as a whole.

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Misery is competently filmed and well acted. Kathy Bates, in particular, is a pleasure to watch. Her portrayal of an obsessed fan makes the movie far better than it would have been without her.

Review by Keith Allen

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© 2004 movierapture@hotmail.com Keith Allen. All rights reserved.
Revised 2005

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