Night Of The Dolphin
Written: Aug 07 '07
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson turn in their usual fine work
Cons: More thrilling than truly scary
The Bottom Line: Can you check in any time you like? Can you ever leave?
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| pmills1210's Full Review: 1408 |
A funny thing happened on my way to see 1408. When I went to purchase my ticket for the show, my ticket seller informed me the theater where the movie was showing had no air conditioning. I was also told that I could get a refund within the first twenty minutes of the movie if I were too uncomfortable. Since I live in a home that has never had air conditioning, I happily discovered the theater had an ample number of ceiling fans. They are just one of the many ways I have in my house to survive a northwest Indiana summer.
John Cusack's character, Mike Enslin, has a far greater challenge through most of 1408. Mike has made a living visiting places that purport some sort of apparition, then proving that there is no haunt. He lives for the challenge, though, of being proven wrong. One day, he gets an anonymous postcard with a picture of New York's Dolphin Hotel, and a warning to not go into room 1408 (The numbers of the room, as you might notice, add up to thirteen). Mike wants the chance to visit, but the hotel personnel decline to book him into the room. Undaunted, Mike turns to his publisher, Sam Farrell (Tony Shalhoub), for help. Sam calls on the legal counsel of the publishing house, compelling them to book the room for the writer.
When he checks in to the hotel, Mike continues to meet resistance to his request. He is eventually greeted by hotel manager Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson). Gerald takes Mike to his office, and tries to bribe Mike into not taking the room. Mr. Olin learns that Mr. Ensler cannot be bribed out of his request, in spite of all of the deaths that have been attributed to people who have stayed there. No one, Mike is told, has lasted more than an hour in that room. Mike soon learns that the objects have a life of their own, and must be able to keep his senses if he doesn't want to add himself to the casualty list.
Director Mikael Hafstrom takes viewers on Mike's one-hour odyssey in 1408 virtually minute by minute. The objects in the room seem to have a life of their own, especially the paintings and a clock radio that plays "We've Only Just Begun." The room also seems to have no climate control, as Mike experiences extreme heat, extreme cold, and even flooding. The room also comes to know Mike and his life's regrets. Mike comes in contact with some of those regrets, including his estranged wife, Lily (Mary McCormack), still saddened by his departure, and their daughter, Katie (Jasmine Jessica Anthony), who had died after battling illness. Hafstrom does a good job of creating tension, as Mike discovers surprise after surprise in his room. The movie, which is adapted from a Stephen King short story, compellingly pits a non-believer against paranormal forces in a contest of strengths. The final result is left open to interpretation.
Cusack, who has made a career on screen as a leading everyman, turns in another fine performance in that vein. Mike Enslin is a soul adrift, even when he's not enjoying surfing on the beach by his California home. He's a man who deals with disappointment by disappointing others. He's also a disappointment to himself, writing books that earn him some money rather than writing the tales he wants after an unsuccessful go at fiction. In the room, Mike not only faces spirits, but he also faces love. He cannot change the past, but he thinks about changing the future. It is Mike's ability to think quickly that helps him face the forces determined to be his undoing. Jackson adds his usual fine support as Olin, a man who understands the history of tragedy associated with this room, and make sure any staff working the room approach with the greatest precaution. Yet, he's also looking for someone who can live to tell a 1408 tale so that he can have something closer to business as usual.
In 1408, a man expects to encounter another hotel haunt myth. Instead, he comes face to face with a real haunting aimed directly at his weaknesses. Mike Enslin is a man who has made big mistakes, and is reminded of big issues. It's a night where a debunker gets a reality check in a room that has been unlucky for lodgers for nearly a century. It's an hour where a writer becomes a changed man. People will wonder, though, in which realm Mike Enslin has changed.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
Film Completeness: Looked complete to me.
Worst Part of this Film: Nothing
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pmills1210
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Member: Pat Mills
Location: East Chicago, In.
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"Nothing in moderation." - Ernie Kovacs. Read and enjoy!
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