Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by jackrandom (A) on June 15, 2005 at 15:41:25

Saw this film last night on DVD. It's by Brad Anderson, who is a New Englander who made "Next Stop Wonderland" and "Session 9." This is more in the Session 9 style and is about a very thin Christian Bale, who works as a machinist, hasn't slept in a year, weighs 120 pounds, and may be hallucinating about some of the people he sees.

Anderson creates a creepy atmosphere through desaturation of colors, and that, along with the music, gives a tremendous sense of dread. You know something bad can, and will, happen. While I did not exactly call the ending, after post viewing reflection, it seemed sort of obvious where the story had to go.

This one would not rank up there as great, but it was atmospheric, interesting (if slow), and pretty well acted. I really preferred Session 9, which is a creepy story that ultimately suffers when the script runs out of steam.

Anderson also went to my alma mater (Bowdoin) a few years ahead of me.