Upon saving his life by one of his biggest fan and a former nurse Annie Wilkes, Paul Sheldon, a well-known novelist, who through his way, makes a dangerous accident, the thing that makes his life in danger, till meeting Annie to receive abuse, as after knowing that he has killed off her favorite character in the novel, decides to revenge.
The film hasn't any depth to speak of, but is consistently shrewd enough not to go totally obvious ways. And the audacity in casting Kathy Bates as the dotty fan pays considerable dividends.
This all would have been perfect for a half-hour TV show or one of those horror anthology films. As it is, even the resourceful Reiner and Goldman are hard put to keep things going until the inevitable final clash.
Time Out
June 24, 2006
Reiner captures just the right level of physical tension, but for the most part wisely emphasises the mental duels. Terrific.
It's Kathy Bates' Oscar-winning turn as a smiling psychopath that still provides the film's cold, cold heart and makes for one of cinema's greatest, friendliest, monsters.
Among other things, Misery emerges as a great picture of fan obsession, and of that curious mix of hero-worship and hero-bashing personified in supermarket tabloids and trash TV.
