ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

jhsteel I was fascinated by this story about the thin line between "madness" and obsession (which anyone might experience), and the idea that falling in love with a dangerous person can lead you into tragic events, unless you are brave enough to choose a different path. Tragic characters nearly always make some mistake that then leads them into an inexorable downward spiral, and this was no exception. I felt that Natasha Richardson's Stella was a tragic character and her liaison with Edgar was a dangerous step - once she became involved with him, she was effectively trapped. The parallels between the asylum and the people imprisoned there physically and Stella's imprisonment in her marriage were very effective and the tension of events which were quite unexpected made this a compelling tale. I was suspicious of the motives of Ian McKellen's character right from the start, and I believe that his intentions were manipulative and selfish throughout. Stella and Edgar acted according to what they thought was their own free will and yet somewhere they were being controlled. It was a scary insight into how powerless people could be when falling into the clutches of mental asylums, either as a patient or someone on the periphery. I recommend this thriller with the warnings that others have made over the sexual content which is essential to portray the obsessive and passionate relationship at its centre.

headhunter46 I shall use only mild spoilers because to reveal too much would ruin the movie for you. For our delightful leading lady this must have been a stretch in choosing to play this part. Actresses and actors like to play the winner, the hero/heroine because it is more rewarding. But in this role our lovely Natasha plays a woman mysteriously, obsessively drawn to a violent, psychotic man in ways that are a bit hard to understand. (He is a patient at an asylum) She plays the role most convincingly. At first she is shocked to learn she is mesmerized by him, and then later finds herself seeking him out. By the intense expressions on the psychotic mans face we fear, in the back of our mind, this will end badly. But close to the end everything seems to have been stabilized and all our characters are under control and coping with what happened. The ending takes a most unexpected turn, at least for me, and leaves the viewer thinking, "I can't believe it turned out this way." Not a feel good ending but nonetheless it sends a powerful message that we must always guard our emotions lest they control or even consume us.Excellent, believable acting by all and really a very well done movie. But please don't rent this for a romantic evening. It won't play out well. I doubt YOU will have a happy ending.

Claudio Carvalho In the 50's, the psychiatrist Max Raphael (Hugh Bonneville) is hired to work as superintendent of an asylum in the outskirts of London, and he moves with his wife Stella Raphael (Natasha Richardson) and their son Charlie (Gus Lewis). Stella has a passionless marriage and is ignored by Max; her boredom changes when her son befriends the handsome inmate Edgar Stark (Marton Csokas), an sculptor that in a crisis of jealousy had killed and disfigured his wife, and that is treated by Dr. Peter Cleave (Ian McKellen), an ambitious psychiatrist that aspired Max's position. During the afternoons, Stella has a hot adulterous affair with Edgar until the day he escapes and their affair is discovered. Stella has to take a decision between her family and her wild passion for Edgar."Asylum" is a sort of combination of "Madame Bovary" with "La Ragazza di Trieste", telling the wild and tragic passion of an ignored and bored woman and her descent into a hell life with a madman. The narrative is sexually tense, and the still sexy Natasha Richardson has a fantastic performance in the role of a woman that becomes obsessed by her destructive desire. Her chemistry with Marton Csokas is amazing, combining tension, madness and eroticism in a stylish cinematography. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Paixão Sem Limites" ("Passion Without Limits")

kentucky_fried_fetus-1 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.