Sunday 5 May 2013

Day 125: Asylum



After her husband gets a job as a psychiatrist in a Psychiatric hospital, Stella (Natasha Richardson) finds herself drawn to one of the patients. Edgar (Marton Csokas) was hospitalised after he brutally murdered and decapitated his wife after she cheated on him, and he now spends his time fixing up Stella’s glasshouse and giving her many orgasms.

Now, I understand that she’s lacking passion in her life (her husband is a patronising bastard and I’m sure the only sex they have is perfunctory) and that this handsome stranger who just has sex with her right there out in the open is everything she's ever wanted when it comes to sex but can we just take a step back and look at what’s actually happening. You know he’s a patient, which means he is still undergoing treatment which means he is currently still not wholly well so engaging in any relationship with him is not going to be great for him or you. You also know why he’s a patient, you know that he gets incredibly jealous and that he killed his wife because of it. I’m not really sure why you’d think it a good idea to get involved with him at all, even if the sex is amazing. But alright, I’m willing to accept you fell passionately in love with him (of which I saw no evidence, acting-wise) and that the fact he’s not well doesn’t matter to you. What I’m not really sure of is what caused you to just watch as your son drowned. Were you just in such despair at being apart from Edgar that you didn’t really pay attention? Or did you not care? Did you resent your son because you wanted to be with him and with Edgar but you knew you couldn’t be with both at the same time? I just don’t know.

I’m not sure I’ve seen Natasha Richardson in anything other than The Parent Trap but she was good in this film. I didn’t really believe that she passionately loved Edgar but when she had to play dissatisfied and lonely she did it well. The film itself was a bit bland despite there being sex and death and suicide. It all just felt like it was plodding along and it wasn’t that interesting, but I was distracted so that probably had an effect.

6/10

1 comment:

  1. "Where do I know that child from? No, I'm going to have to look it up. Ah yes, he played the young Bruce Wayne.
    IAN.
    Have sex in the broken glasshouse. No? Waste of an opportunity.
    Fruit cake, blergh.
    Why are you just wandering through the hospital?
    Oh you two are so going to have sex.
    A sculptor, if that's not just the sexiest of artistic talents.
    And now you're dancing. Prelude to sex.
    Lipstick on. Sex is definitely going to happen. Oh dear, there's just no gentleness there at all.
    Ok, better this time.
    How are you possibly having sex without the warden coming by?
    'Features of morbid jealously.' Yikes. Are you going to end up killing her, Edgar?
    I know we're supposed to think this is some kind of passionate affair but I'm just not seeing it.
    Escaped!
    He looks like he's going to hit her, hm.
    There are no bubbles in that bath whatsoever. Odd.
    She's cleeearly been phoned and she's off to meet him. You're not subtle at all.
    Oh dear, she's clearly not wanting to have sex with you, Mr Boring Husband.
    "I can't share you." Run. Just run now.
    He won't touch you while he's working, sounds just like the husband you've left. Men are rubbish, huh?
    I can't see you being able to comfort him through this. It's obviously a deep problem he has.
    You can't love her and hit her. Nope.
    Why would you just give out the place he's working you absolute idiot.
    Right ok, so I know you think you love him and everything but he's clearly not a healthy man, will you just get it together.
    Oh wow, just watching him drown.
    And now she's being hospitalised.
    They always have new patients scrubbed in films. To dehumanise them?
    Do patients actually get put in solitary confinement? I can't see how that's helpful to them. I mean, I'd love it but I can't imagine it's actually beneficial to patients.
    You're going to get her to live with you? Wtf? 'need growing into love?' Who would want that kind of love, christ.
    Are you not going to let him come to the ball? Such a dick. Does torturing an ill man make you feel powerful?
    Suicide? Can't be a film about mental health issues without a suicide. Wow, she didn't even hesitate. Those are always my favourites.
    And now everyone's alone."

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