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"One really haunted hotel room!" [1408] |
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Sunday, 15 July 2007 |
by Frederic Germay
 If you've ever had a bad experience in a hotel…prepare to have your story topped! "1408," a supernatural film starring John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mary McCormack, is the scariest film currently in theaters -- and it doesn't even use the gore-effect to freak you out. Based on the short story by renowned author Stephen King, "1408" tells the tale of a cynically minded author who writes about allegedly haunted areas.
Played by Cusack, Mike Enslin is the author who doesn't believe his own work and has never experienced any paranormal phenomenon. After living his rather doldrum life of traveling to location after location, he gets a postcard telling him not to enter into room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel. Intrigued, Enslin calls the hotel and tries to get a reservation, but they deny him entry, claiming that the room is unavailable. After discovering that it is illegal to stop someone from using a room that is unoccupied, Enslin forces his way into the hotel room, despite a strong warning from the hotel manager, Gerald Olin (Samuel L. Jackson).
Apparently 56 deaths have occurred in that room, and almost all of them were self-inflicted. Even with that blaring evidence of foreboding doom, Enslin still insists on having that room. With the exception of the excellent argument between Olin and Enslin, the true magic of "1408" starts to shine once Enslin enters into the room. All throughout the ordeal I was glued to the screen and my attention rarely wavered.
The room seems to have a life of its own, rich with the history of its deceased residents. Enslin finally encounters his paranormal desires in the most jarring way possible. We uncover the strained relationship between him and his estranged wife, Lily (Mary McCormack), and how his daughter passed away. Enslin finally reunites with his daughter after an epic journey through his own personal hell.
My only issue with this otherwise perfect film is that the movie goes overboard sometimes when the room is waging war against Enslin. The sheer amount of strange occurrences almost makes me wonder whether there is some deeper metaphorical meaning for each specific one, which would then limit the comprehension of the film, seeing as things can be interpreted differently.
Other than that, the film is a truly mind-numbing experience. Some scenes really do shine, like Cusack's brilliant reactions, Jackson's solemn warnings, and the remarkable moment where Cusack takes action against the room. All the film's acting performances are brilliant, but I believe this is Cusack's best performance yet, as he steals almost every scene he's in!
A little more than two hours, this film somewhat extends its subject matter unnecessarily. However, that is forgivable since the extremely moving final moment is well worth the wait. One of the top 10 movies of the year so far, this is definitely worth the price of an admission ticket (even more than those summer blockbusters). I give this film a 9/10. Don't take your children to this movie though!
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