Dr. Salt and Mrs. Pike warn Newgate that Lamb is a dangerous madman – a surgeon who murdered his patients during wartime. The film, starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and David Thewlis, was released on October 24, 2014. It is where the privileged few go when their minds break. Though she protests that she is sane, the professor points out that all mental patients claim to be sane, much as all criminals claim to be innocent. Baltimore’s own Edgar Allan Poe has long sat at the head of the table in thriller-cinema Valhalla, his tightly wound tales of the macabre providing fodder for decades of psychological chillers. But every passing scene further shades the complicated nature of human psychology, where neurochemical imbalance can result in anything from a suspended state of mild gloominess to homicidal fury. "[17], Film Journal International and The A.V. References to female anatomy and hysteria, References to torture, Deaths and Violence, Disturbing treatment therapy e.g. films the scene in a way that makes the men in the room menacing, teasing a film that should follow about how much energy was expended in medical circles to And this is a clue to what is really going on within this institution, which the audience finds out quickly enough. And yet even this opening scene is something of a A group of armed men led by Mickey Finn allow him entry. Additional stars include Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine, and others. Stonehearst Asylum. Arguably unhealthily close to his mother (Amy Landecker) and sister (Olivia Welch)—perhaps an effect, we later infer, from the recent passing of his father—he calls or texts back home to Dallas on … So, let’s begin! It is loosely based on the 1845 short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"[3] by Edgar Allan Poe. [2], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 54% based on 56 reviews, and an average rating of 5.44/10. Poe’s short story hinges on this revelation, but Stonehearst and Anderson recognize it’s too thin to support an entire film. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. Principal photography began in Bulgaria on June 21, 2013. By putting their cards on the table within the first 30 minutes of the film, the rest of Stonehearst Asylum lacks any punch. It is as if they could not decide what type of film they wanted to be, and tried to be everything and this led to an incohesive story that goes nowhere (this has the unmistakable reek of studio interference in the editing room). This takes the form of electrical shock treatment, which Lamb forces Newgate to perform on Salt. Asylum” had the personality it should have with someone as talented as Anderson As Lamb shows Newgate around the grounds, it becomes clear
Newgate is surprised by Lamb's unorthodox methods. As she helps him to clean up, Graves quietly insists that he flee the asylum, but Newgate refuses to leave without her. In 1899, an Oxford University professor demonstrates a case of female hysteria, Eliza Graves, before his class. anthology series.)
In an early scene, Lamb shows Newgate a device used to bore holes in skulls so evil spirits may be able to freely exit the brains of the tormented. Learn how your comment data is processed.
He seems more focused on his obsession with Eliza, which if it had been a romance might have held more weight but just ends up dragging down the pace of the film. For
He is caught by Finn, who then warns the others.
With period costumes and Gothic interiors, it is a polished and fitting period piece. The movie touches on the ideas of abuse or abandonment of those mentally ill, how a deeply disturbed individual can (for the most part) pass off as a normal person, the (to our modern senses) barbarity of past psychiatric treatments, the effects of PTSD, the sometimes violent nature of a disturbed mind, and others. Before Newgate can drink it, Graves causes him to spill his drink. be his worst film overall, but “Stonehearst” is Anderson’s flattest film, a Of course,
Stonehearst Asylum, previously known as Eliza Graves, is an American Gothic film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Joseph Gangemi.It is loosely based on the 1845 short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" by Edgar Allan Poe.The film, starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and David Thewlis, was released on October 24, 2014. stonehurst asylum … Stonehearst Asylum is a very odd film, though that may be explained by it being based loosely on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe – ‘The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether‘.
bringing his precise directorial eye to works like “Session 9” and “Transsiberian,”
is an unhappy, dark place. Once he arrives, he realizes the chief doctor, Silas Lamb, has some unusual and unsettling methods for treating his patients. involvement. that, sadly, doesn’t follow.
Her name is Madeline, and the movie’s based on our relationship, so I know exactly how she talks. Brad Anderson’s outstanding new film Stonehearst Asylum expands Poe’s “The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether” to feature-length, but doesn’t fit as snugly into the spooky-fun tradition set by past adaptations. It may not
Stonehearst Asylum, previously known as Eliza Graves, is an American Gothic film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Joseph Gangemi.It is loosely based on the short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" by Edgar Allan Poe.The film, starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and David Thewlis, was released on October 24, 2014. In 1899, an Oxford University professor demonstrates a case of female hysteria, Eliza Graves, before his class. The male doctor as white knight
Later, Graves' husband and the earlier Oxford professor arrive at the asylum. "[19], The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, Kate Beckinsale in Talks for Edgar Allan Poe Adaptation ‘Eliza Graves’, "Kate Beckinsale in talks to lead psychological thriller 'Eliza Graves, "Jim Sturgess Joins Kate Beckinsale in Eliza Graves", "Michael Caine & Ben Kingsley Joining Brad Anderson's 'Eliza Graves, "David Thewlis And Brendan Gleeson Join Millennium's 'Eliza Graves, "Eliza Graves is scheduled to begin shooting in Bulgaria on June 21st", "Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine Meet Again in 'Stonehearst Asylum' Trailer Premiere", "John Debney to Score Ivan Reitman's 'Draft Day, "Caution: This Institution Processes Nuts", "[Review] Atmospheric 'Stonehearst Asylum' Is a So-So Period Thriller", "Brad Anderson goes back to the madhouse with Stonehearst Asylum", (The System of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stonehearst_Asylum&oldid=973718791, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. While the production design may be authentic, and one
which this is loosely based, “Believe nothing
The majorly omitted plot potential of what is going on in the belly of this asylum institution seems like a case of missing the forest for the trees, and the mystery of Lamb’s creation as the man he is now is neither shocking nor surprising, adding little depth to a character that is initially portrayed as complex.
1,881, This story has been shared 1,255 times. But in taking a clear-eyed view on such a nuanced subject, Stonehearst Asylum does heroic work to set the world in the right direction. The opening scene of “Stonehearst Asylum” sets up a film This is a big shame, as that could have really made this a great film, rather than a forgettable story. When Salt suffers amnesia, Lamb proclaims him cured of his delusion that he is the true administrator. Newgate becomes infatuated with Graves, now a resident at Stonehearst, when introduced to her. Been awhile since I’ve done one of these, but this feels like a good opportunity to do one.
This page was last edited on 18 August 2020, at 20:51. There’s something more disappointing about seeing great
During the New Year's celebration, Finn murders one of the young female patients, which Lamb brushes off as an accidental death. is being paraded in front of a room of mental health experts. Watching finely aged titans like Kingsley and Caine go toe-to-toe is an exquisite pleasure. Newgate attempts to recruit Graves, but she declines to become involved and tells him of Salt's abuses. Visually, Stonehearst Asylum is a very beautiful film, bringing together all the elements we imagine a Victorian asylum would be. Newgate is the new doctor at the titular establishment, an asylum for the rich and socially mobile. This short story has lots of potential that Stonehearst Asylum fails to capitalize on. [15][16] The Los Angeles Times wrote, "On the surface, Anderson seems to have all the necessary pieces for a surreal psycho pop.
As Ben Kingsley’s Silas Lamb says, “Misery has a way of clarifying one’s Lamb prepares Newgate for electric shock therapy. Flashbacks reveal that Lamb, under extreme pressure, executed his patients as form of mercy kill. Newgate attempts to recruit Graves, but she declines to become involved and tells him of Salt's abuses. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account. He was dancing with his love interest at another Asylum and they call each other Mr. and Mrs. Lamb. The moral dilemma that Newgate faces would have offered an intriguing tangent they could have expanded upon, but instead, they go for the oft-walked path of – will they survive the crazies in the Looney bin. My thoughts on: Penny Dreadful, Season 2. “Stonehearst But it is this polish that makes it a bit too clean a film. The movie has been remade into a malayalam language movie Athiran in 2019. Seeing legends like Kingsley, Michael Caine and David Thewlis At the same time, when it does deliver a plot point, you realize that it’s been hinting at it all throughout the film. at the helm. Finn attempts to take control, but Graves and Newgate lead a revolt against him, as the other patients have become scared of his violent nature. The films making up the Corman-Poe cycle remain a sinister delight, but between its distinctly modern intelligence and razor-sharp plotting, Anderson’s clever contraption matches the heights of Gothic grandeur that keep Poe held in esteem today. [11] The soundtrack was released digitally on October 14, 2014, and was released physically on November 11. Edmund Kingsley as Sir Charles Graves, Bt. A group of armed men led by Mickey Finn allow him entry. The movie has been remade into a malayalam language movie Athiran in 2019. disappointingly shallow affair that wastes an opportunity to breathe life into With his dreamy good looks concealed beneath scraggly facial hair and a pair of wire spectacles, Sturgess manages to hold his own among a cast of heavyweights, too.
He’s going to An Oxford graduate takes up a job in a mental asylum, only to discover that the "revolutionary" new treatments are inhumane, and that there is more going on than meets the eye. Mrs. Graves and the imposter Newgate are shown in Tuscany, Italy, where they are known as Dr. and Mrs. Lamb. Newgate chooses to stay however, as he cannot bear to leave her. As Gleeson’s mad doctor says, quoting directly from the Poe story on