The Sleep Room (1998)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Anne Wheeler

Writers:

Anne Collins (book)
Bruce M. Smith (writer)

Release Date:

31 March 1998 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Based on a true story, this production relates the tale of two American lawyers who try to bring the U.S...

Plot Keywords:

Mind Control | Independent Film | Based On Book

Awards:

5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Leon Pownall	...	Dr. Ewen Cameron
Macha Grenon	...	Nathalie Belding
Nicola Cavendish	...	Ruth Farmer
Gabrielle Rose	...	Nurse Stephens
Emmanuel Bilodeau	...	Dandain
France Castel	...	Flo Langelben
Diego Matamoros	...	Dr. Goldman
Bruce Dinsmore	...	Dr. Burns
Eric Peterson	...	Sal Rothenberg
Donald Moffat	...	Joseph Rauh
Marina Orsini	...	Jane Conroy
Frank Moore	...	Mr. Krantz
Nicholas Campbell	...	Lucas
Blu Mankuma	...	Judge Locke
Daniel Kash	...	Aaron Rothenberg

Also Known As:

Pavillon de l'oubli, Le (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

193 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Better than I expected true story shocker

I bought this DVD during the blitz sales when Tower Records was going out of business. It looked interesting enough to buy for $5.00, but now that I have watched it, I would have been just as happy paying full price.

The performances were mostly above par, with a few exceptionally believable characters. The production was excellent, as was the directing. What makes this film stand out is being based on a true story of yet another infamous CIA excursion into ruining people's lives. What I was shocked to find out about was how the Canadian government fit into it all as well. The MK- Ultra tests are now infamous, even if primarily to conspiracy theorists. However, this particular test was one that they admitted, and theoretically apologized for.

The film is a bit long, but captivating, at just around 3 hours. The story begins with the patients at a mental hospital with a doctor trying to cope with his own ego and feelings of inadequacies. When he realizes the usefulness of psychotropic drugs and other invasive techniques, he believes he is helping mankind, while unwittingly (at the start) helping the CIA perfect torture techniques while using unwitting human test subjects. Later, after the film establishes the horrors and introduces you to the characters, it switches to the attorneys who take on the CIA in a court case to get admission to fault, and compensation to the remaining victims. A sad story by the end, but one that will last in your mind. Exceptional.