Mike Enslin: John Cusack
Gerald Olin: Samuel L. Jackson
Lily Enslin: Mary McCormack
Sam Farrell: Tony Shalhoub
Dimension Films presents a film directed by Mikael Håfström. Screenplay by Matt Greenberg and Scott Alexander & Larry Karaszewski, based on the short story by Stephen King. The running time is 94 minutes. It is rated PG-13 for thematic material including disturbing sequences of violence and terror, frightening images and language.
BY JACOB ZIEGLER, 411Movies
The two most common misconceptions about film critics are that we A) hate everything we see, and B) that we never admit when we’re wrong. Every once in a while a movie comes along that dispels both of those notions, and director Mikael Håfström’s “1408” is one of those movies.
John Cusack stars as Mike Enslin, a writer who specializes in paranormal activity. Basically he visits supposedly haunted locations (currently he’s working his way through a hotel loop), and writes about his experiences there. He admits at a book signing that he’s never actually encountered a ghost, but that he would love nothing more than to do just that.
A few days later he receives a mysterious postcard from the Dolphin Hotel in New York City. The postcard is inscribed with the message “don’t stay in 1408.” This is practically an invitation for Enslin, who is always eager for a challenge. He is also bitter, jaded, and sarcastic about nearly everything.
He arrives at the Dolphin and managers, including Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson, in a surprisingly brief role), try to talk him out of staying there. Olin puts it bluntly – “it’s an evil f***ing room,” he tells Enslin. This just serves to spur Enslin on; there is just no way can he be talked out of staying in that room.
This is where “1408” really starts to get good. A bulk of the movie takes place inside that room, and most of it is Cusack acting alone. It’s a very impressive achievement technically and logistically, and Cusack proves that he is perfect for the role.
The screenplay also does him a great service, as it allows him to be revealed slowly as his time in the room increases. We don’t learn everything about him in a stodgy, unnecessary prologue; the story starts right away and takes its time in being told. To say that about a 94 minute movie is pretty rare. It never feels rushed despite some truly frenetic sequences, and that is a credit to both director Håfström and editor Peter Boyle. They create an atmosphere that is constantly creepy, even before Enslin arrives at the Dolphin. Cinematographer BenoÎt Delhomme (who created an awesome score for last year’s “The Proposition”) and composer Gabriel Yared (who also scores for Anthony Minghella, winning an Oscar for 1996’s “The English Patient”) deserve high marks in atmospherics as well.
Films based on Stephen King novels are a bit of a mixed bag. For every “The Shawshank Redemption, “The Shining,” or “Stand By Me” there’s a “Thinner,” “Dreamcatcher,” or “Secret Window.” Cusack’s performance in “1408” echoes Nicholson’s work in “Shining;” as both men are being driven to madness through confinement and their own baggage. It may take a while for this performance to be recognized, but it clearly drives the film, since everyone else is limited to parts that barely reach the double digits for minutes on screen.
“1408” is probably the biggest surprise of the year – a horror film that relies on suspense and tension to terrify its audience, not cheap tactics and gruesome torture. It’s rated PG-13, but only because there is no sex or bad language, because I might have thought the fright generated here would have warranted an R rating. But I’m glad that the sub-17 crowd will be able to get in with no hassle, because it may teach them that movies like “Saw” and “Hostel” are not truly good horror. “1408” is.
The 411: John Cusack gives a blow-away performance in this nearly one man show, director Mikael Håfström’s “1408.” It’s delightfully mind-bending and scarier than anything I’ve seen in quite some time. I really hope this one catches on.
