Asylum (2005)

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

one of films who seduce only for its cast. the story is far to be bad but it is common.the mental insanity, forbidden passion, dramatic choices , the end are ingredients from an old recipes. and the surprises are isolated isles.the basic virtue - the performance of Natasha Richardson as new Madame Bovary . than - Ian McKellen as a Mefisto avatar, dramatic, credible, ambiguous. a decent movie. not extraordinary, maybe beautiful, interesting for a couple of scenes and for memories about another works with same theme. so the important problem is its potential, the impression than it could be better and each member of team is innocent. short, an interesting film. but nothing more.

Natasha Richardson shines in this challenging role. She shows how intelligent and seemingly well put together women can put up with abusive male behaviourIt was very telling that her exquisitely portrayed boredom and contempt for her husband's 50's style sexist piggery was so extreme that she made flying into the arms of a deranged (but magnetic) madman seem catastrophically credible. All three of the men in her character's life are deeply and profoundly flawed...though in comparison to the other two, he husband was a *relatively* decent fellow.All the performances are excellent. Ian McKellen does an outstanding job of portraying a fiendishly manipulative malevolent psycho-toxic sick puppy. Of course, he "rises to the top" and becomes a great "success". If you're looking for the typical Hollywood trite "happy ending" look elsewhere. It's clear why this never won an Oscar since the movie is so dark and enraging and even depressing; but Richardson's performance here was indeed worthy of an Academy Award. It's a shame this gifted talent and lovely human being was cut short in her life and career, she will be missed...and remembered.

by kentucky_fried_fetus-1 5 minutes ago (Sat Aug 18 2007 08:37:54) Edit ReplyMy English is poor but I will try to explain my point of view. I think love is something so hard that happy ever after in most of all movies frequently end at the wedding. All romantics thoughts seems as utopias. Some people turn the page on with rational decisions others doesn't have the straight. After they did live together she understand that wasn't to meant, she was so weak mentally that she is incapable to see what was going on with her son, she is empty, alone and deluded. A sick person literally. This doctor is envy of her husband so he want everything that belongs him. He is a very manipulative person and he is consequently incapable of love. So Asylum as the name indicate is about crazy people and this doctor is the craziest. Please correct me if I am wrong.

A faithful adaptation of an utterly depressing book, "Asylum", while devastatingly depressing is completely compelling. The viewer is held spellbound, swept away by the story which culminates in a tragic end. The acting is uniformly brilliant, Marton Csokas chewing the scenery every time he is on the screen. Sir Ian MacKellan is equally compelling, scarily believable as a power-mad psychiatrist enjoying his games with his patients and acquaintances. One is left feeling dull and uneasy at the denounement, knowing that there was no other way for the film to end. My only problem were the minor plot-holes: Why would a woman who holds her son as the reason for her existence watch impassively as he drowns? Why would an insane asylum allow a rooftop to be easily accessible to mentally unstable people? Minor quibbles aside, this is a powerful story with brilliant acting and an excellent script.