Possession (2002)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Neil LaBute

Writers (WGA):

A.S. Byatt (novel)
David Henry Hwang (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

4 September 2002 (France)

Genre:

Romance | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

The past will connect them. The passion will possess them.

Plot:

A pair of literary sleuths unearth the amorous secret of two Victorian poets only to find themselves falling under a passionate spell.

Plot Keywords:

Poet | Spell | Love Letter | Rival | Drowning

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Maud Bailey
Aaron Eckhart	...	Roland Michell
Jeremy Northam	...	Randolph Henry Ash
Jennifer Ehle	...	Christabel LaMotte
Lena Headey	...	Blanche Glover
Holly Aird	...	Ellen Ash
Toby Stephens	...	Fergus Wolfe
Trevor Eve	...	Cropper
Tom Hickey	...	Blackadder
Georgia Mackenzie	...	Paola
Tom Hollander	...	Euan
Graham Crowden	...	Sir George
Anna Massey	...	Lady Bailey
Craig Crosbie	...	Hildebrand
Christopher Good	...	Crabb-Robinson
Elodie Frenck	...	Sabine
Victoria Bensted	...	Woman in Hotel
Shelley Conn	...	Candi
Jonty Stephens	...	Shop Owner
Alexi Kaye Campbell	...	Auction Director
Hugh Simon	...	Librarian
Richard Heffer	...	Lord Lytton
Felicity Brangan	...	Ash's Maid
Holly Earl	...	May Bailey
Kate O'Toole	...	Mrs. Jameson
Meg Wynn Owen	...	Mrs. Lees
Roger Hammond	...	Professor Spear
Jeanne Marine	...	University Secretary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Ian Cusick	...	Toby Byng (uncredited)
Ray Donn	...	University's Professor (uncredited)
Barbara Pierson	...	Mrs. Cammish (uncredited)
Natalie Stevenson	...	Kate's Assistant (uncredited)

Directed by
Neil LaBute

Writing credits (WGA)
A.S. Byatt		(novel)
David Henry Hwang		(screenplay) and
Laura Jones		(screenplay) and
Neil LaBute		(screenplay)

Produced by
Len Amato	....	executive producer
David Barron	....	executive producer
Barry Levinson	....	producer
Stephen Pevner	....	co-producer
Guy Tannahill	....	line producer
Paula Weinstein	....	producer

Original Music by
Gabriel Yared

Cinematography by
Jean-Yves Escoffier

Film Editing by
Claire Simpson

Casting by
Mary Selway

Production Design by
Luciana Arrighi

Art Direction by
Paul Ghirardani
Andrew Sanders
Su Whitaker		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Ian Whittaker

Costume Design by
Jenny Beavan

Makeup Department
Jan Archibald	....	key hair stylist
Kay Georgiou	....	hairdresser: Ms. Paltrow
Sallie Jaye	....	chief makeup artist
Rebecca Lafford	....	makeup artist: Ms. Paltrow
Sylvie Muinos	....	hair stylist
Belinda Parish	....	makeup artist (as Belinda Parrish)
Astrid Schikorra	....	hair stylist
Loulia Sheppard	....	hair stylist
Kate Thompson	....	makeup artist
Christine Whitney	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stephen Barker	....	post-production supervisor
Jake Cook	....	unit manager runner
Joseph Jayawardena	....	unit manager
Iona Price	....	production manager: additional photography

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anne Braucks	....	assistant director
Michael Elliott	....	assistant director
Carlos Fidel	....	third assistant director
Frank Gell	....	second unit director
Ben Johnson	....	first assistant director: second unit
Nic Shearer	....	assistant director
Richard Styles	....	assistant director

Art Department
Joanna Foley	....	assistant art director
Saskia Green	....	lead art department assistant
Christian Huband	....	assistant art director
Danny Rogers	....	graphic designer
Lucinda Sturgis	....	props buyer
Remo Tozzi	....	draughtsman

Sound Department
Hugo Adams	....	assistant sound editor
Philip Alton	....	dialogue adr editor
Mark Auguste	....	supervising sound editor
Sam Auguste	....	assistant sound editor
Sandy Buchanan	....	adr mixer
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
John Casali	....	boom operator
David Crozier	....	sound mixer
Mike Dowson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Christian Joyce	....	additional boom operator
Daniel Laurie	....	adr editor
Daniel Laurie	....	dialogue editor
Jed Loughran	....	assistant sound editor
Nigel Mills	....	supervising sound editor: final mix
Stuart Morton	....	sound editor
Esther Smith	....	sound technician
Richard Street	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mark Taylor	....	sound re-recording mixer
Derek Trigg	....	foley editor
Andrew Caller	....	adr assistant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Paul Dunn	....	special effects supervisor
Wilma Dunn	....	special effects coordinator
Daniel Letch	....	special effects technician
Scott McIntyre	....	special effects
Charlie Olsen	....	special effects crew
Mark Phillips	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Mark Bakowski	....	digital compositor
Simon Carr	....	digital compositor
Antony Hunt	....	executive Producer: Mill Film
Andrew Jeffery	....	visual effects producer
David Sewell	....	digital compositor
Andy Stevens	....	visual effects camera assistant: Millfilm
Daniel Pettipher	....	2D digital supervisor: Mill Film (uncredited)

Stunts
Andy Bennett	....	stunt performer
Richard Bradshaw	....	stunts
Rowley Irlam	....	stunts
Tom Lucy	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Marc Atherfold	....	clapper loader: "a" camera
Steve Casey	....	electrician
Steve Costello	....	gaffer
Mike Evans	....	focus puller: "a" camera
Warren Evans	....	rigging gaffer
Catherine Frift	....	clapper loader: "b" camera
Bill Geddes	....	camera grip: "a" camera
Alan Grayley	....	electrician
Gordon Hayman	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Leo Holloway	....	video assistant
Andy Hopkins	....	grip: "b" camera
Bill Kaye	....	additional still photographer
Brad Larner	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Brad Larner	....	focus puller: "b" camera
David Mackie	....	camera trainee
Simon Mills	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Nic Milner	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jim Smart	....	rigging electrician
Howard Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Howard Smith	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Chris Taylor	....	video assist operator
Simon Werry	....	aerial camera operator
David Holliday	....	grip (uncredited)
Vince McGahon	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Brendan Donnison	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ken Crouch	....	costume supervisor
Jane Law	....	additional costumes
Stephen Miles	....	assistant costume designer
Sophie Norinder	....	dresser: Ms. Paltrow
Barbara Ohren	....	costumer
Barbara Ohren	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Victoria Bate	....	second assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Kevin Holt	....	assistant editor
Deborah Kavanagh	....	trainee assistant editor
Lea Morement	....	assistant editor
Mark Sanger	....	first assistant editor
Louise Seymour	....	post-production coordinator
Jeff Smithwick	....	color timer
Maria Montoreano	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jonathan Allen	....	score recording & mixing
John Bell	....	orchestrator
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Allan Jenkins	....	synthesizer programmer
Gerard McCann	....	music editor
Stéphane Moucha	....	orchestrator
Kirsty Whalley	....	synthesizer programmer
Gabriel Yared	....	music producer

Transportation Department
Gary Birmingham	....	transportation coordinator
Lee Isgar	....	driver: Neil Labute
John Ott	....	driver: grip truck
Colin Sheffield	....	driver: camera truck
Glen Carroll	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Caroline Chapman	....	floor runner
Sonia Coppi	....	assistant: Paula Weinstein
Steve Hart	....	location manager: additional photography
Richard Hill	....	locations runner
Sally Hilton	....	assistant: David Barron and Neil LaBute
Claudia Kalindjian	....	unit publicist
Linda Labov	....	assistant: Paula Weinstein
Barbara McFarlane	....	assistant co-production coordinator
Jamie McKay-Haynes	....	runner
Lynette Meyer	....	design consultant
Duncan Muggoch	....	locations unit manager
Zelda Perkins	....	assistant: David Barron and Neil LaBute
Holly Perry	....	assistant: Mr. Eckhart
Sue Quinn	....	location manager
Ashton Radcliffe	....	assistant location manager
Vicki Dee Rock	....	production executive
Natalie Stevenson	....	assistant: Ms. Paltrow (as Natalie Stephenson)
Imogen Stringer	....	assistant coordinator
Aurelia Thomas	....	location assistant
Tony Tucker	....	marine coordinator
Clare Wade	....	runner

Production Companies

• USA Films
• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Baltimore Spring Creek Productions
• Contagious Films (in association with)
• Focus Features

Distributors

• USA Films (2002) (USA) (all media) (North America)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (2002) (non-USA) (all media)
• Fox-Warner (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Focus Features (USA)
• Warner Bros.
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (200?) (Netherlands) (video)

Special Effects

• Special Effects UK

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Gearbox Sound and Vision  additional ProTools systems supplied by
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• RCA Victor  soundtrack
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexuality and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall, St. James's, London, England, UK

Company:

USA Films

Trivia:

A large part of Church Street in Whitby was dressed to give it the appearance of a 18/19th century fishing town. Gwyneth Paltrow insisted that the whole place was screened off so that she was not visible to the small crowd of on-lookers. Jeremy Northam, however, took time to go and talk about the film to the bystanders. Miss Paltrow also turned down an offer from the local dignitaries to meet the mayor and be shown around the town. The Whitby Gazette carried a massive banner headline declaring "PALTROW SNUBS WHITBY".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Maude is in her car waiting for Roland to come out of the museum, her window is down. When he gets in the car and they begin talking, it is rolled up.

Quotes:

Roland Michell: There's no such thing as poets anymore.

Movie Connections:

References The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)

Soundtrack:

Possesso

A Time Shift Drama That Works!

There have been any number of films where time shifting back and forth is the plot device to tell a story. Mostly the results are mediocre or even abysmal ("Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure": it was nothing of the kind). One of my old and rarely seen favorites is "The Yellow Rolls-Royce."

More recently "The Red Violin", based on Ann Rice's novel, took viewers through several epochs as the impending auction of a magnificent violin loomed. That movie worked. And so does "Possession," also based on a novel and beautifully realized by Neil LaBute, a sensitive director with an outstanding leading cast.

Set in England with a side trip to France, "Possession" follows the path of laconic American scholar "Roland Mitchell" (Aaron Eckhardt) as he works for an eccentric Irish academic. Both specialize in nineteenth century British literature. Apparently Mitchell is still working on his Ph.D - his duties for his employer are largely of a research assistant nature.

At his master's command he goes to the British Museum to verify some data about the great poet, "Randolph Henry Ash" (come to life through Jeremy Northam). Like Professor Peter Schickele, whose fortuitous discoveries of the works of Bach's least known son, P.D.Q., Mitchell stumbles upon several handwritten pages that lead him to believe that a great mystery about the life of Ash might be solvable. Since Ash is being celebrated with exhibitions and academic convocations, this is, certainly, a good time for this Yank to delve into Ash's past.

With the pages in hand (felony larceny comes to mind as the proper acquisition designation) the adventure begins. And soon leads to "Dr. Maud Bailey" played by a luminous Gwyneth Paltrow (Ms. Paltrow is now living in London so her dialect preparation was practical as well as necessary for the film).

Bailey is a specialist on the life of poet "Christabel LaMotte" (Jennifer Ehle). She's reputed to be a tough and difficult person. Often in the academic world, that simply means the person in question is a competent woman. As Bailey and Mitchell deepen their investigation the inevitable but well-acted romantic attraction, rejection, and...well... (you can guess, can't you?) rolls to its certain ending.

The scenes shift seamlessly between the nineteenth century poets and the twenty-first century academic sleuths. Career opportunities, acclaim, lionization by a small coterie of academics in very narrow fields await those who first publish new discoveries. In a real world where many consider weaponizing pathogens to be the true meaningful work of the academy, it's nice to see that a love of literature and an insatiable desire to learn about those whose writings remain cherished can be the focus of a fine film.

Of course there are scurrilous academics afoot - an arrogant American and his toady English assistant - who are sniffing at the trail left by Mitchell and Bailey. The extremes they go to are silly, even funny but NOT implausible. What is very silly are the recurrent anti-American comments that go beyond humor and make me wonder what the script writer's experiences here have been.

Maud and Roland seem real, and so are Christabel and Henry, because their doubts and passions aren't of the exaggerated variety that Masterpiece Theater regularly plucks from English literature or that Merchant/Ivory immortalizes. Each couple in real life would understand the lives and fears of their opposite pairing.

I'm not quite sure why the song "Posseso" accompanies the end credits. In any event I don't understand Italian beyond menu and cookbook so I have little idea what it's about.

9/10.