Asylum (2005)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

David Mackenzie

Writers (WGA):

Patrick McGrath (novel)
Patrick Marber (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 September 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Passion knows no boundaries.

Plot:

A woman becomes very curious about one of her psychiatrist husband's inmates, a man who was found guilty in the murder and disfigurement of his former wife.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Asylum | Inmate | London | Escape

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Natasha Richardson	...	Stella Raphael
Hugh Bonneville	...	Max Raphael
Gus Lewis	...	Charlie Raphael
Ian McKellen	...	Dr. Peter Cleave
Joss Ackland	...	Jack Straffen
Wanda Ventham	...	Bridie Straffen
Sara Thurston	...	Mrs. Rose (as Sarah Thurstan)
Alwyne Taylor	...	Monica
Maria Aitken	...	Claudia Greene
Hazel Douglas	...	Lilly
Anna Keaveney	...	Mrs. Bain
Marton Csokas	...	Edgar Stark
Robert Willox	...	John Archer
Judy Parfitt	...	Brenda Raphael
Sean Harris	...	Nick
Andy de la Tour	...	Inspector Easton
Roy Boyd	...	Trevor Wiliams
Rhydian Jones	...	Mr. Griffin
Nick Chadwin	...	Chaplain
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Bridge	...	Asylum Security Man (uncredited)
Veronica Fairhurst	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Susie Gossling Valerio	...	Patient (uncredited)
Maurice Hayward	...	Dr. Simon Greene (uncredited)
Patrick McGrath	...	Patient at hospital ball (uncredited)
Peter Yates	...	Peter, parole patient (uncredited)

Directed by
David Mackenzie

Writing credits (WGA)
Patrick McGrath		(novel)
Patrick Marber		(screenplay) and
Chrysanthy Balis		(screenplay)

Produced by
David E. Allen	....	producer
Michael Barlow	....	executive producer
Laurie Borg	....	producer (as Laurence Borg)
John Buchanan	....	executive producer
David Collins	....	co-producer
Chris Curling	....	executive producer
Baron Davis	....	executive producer
Harmon Kaslow	....	executive producer
Steve Markoff	....	executive producer (as Steven Markoff)
Bruce McNall	....	executive producer
Mace Neufeld	....	producer
Robert Rehme	....	executive producer
Natasha Richardson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Mark Mancina

Cinematography by
Giles Nuttgens		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Colin Monie
Steven Weisberg

Casting by
Priscilla John

Production Design by
Laurence Dorman

Art Direction by
Philip Barber
Jim Furlong		(supervising art director)

Set Decoration by
Philippa Hart

Costume Design by
Consolata Boyle

Makeup Department
Carole Dunne	....	chief hair stylist (as Carol Dunne)
Jane Walker	....	makeup artist
Aileen Seaton	....	hair designer (uncredited)
Aileen Seaton	....	makeup designer (uncredited)

Production Management
Hilary Kehoe	....	production supervisor: Samson Films
Patrick O'Donoghue	....	production manager
Jonathan Scott	....	unit production manager
Maria Walker	....	post-production supervisor
Luc Webster	....	unit manager: location

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Agnew	....	first assistant director
Sandra Corbally	....	third assistant director
Anna Doorly	....	trainee assistant director
Simon Downes	....	second assistant director
Susan Drennan	....	third assistant director
Patrick Gordon	....	trainee assistant director
Julie Heskin	....	trainee assistant director
John Wallace	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Philip Allen	....	joiner
Simon Amos	....	carpenter
Paul Arkins	....	stagehand
Pat Bailey	....	head painter
Ian Barrett	....	carpenter
Colm Bassett	....	construction manager: Ireland
Mark Bassett	....	stand-by stagehand
Victoria Bassett	....	sculptor
Neville Bayliss	....	greensman
Matthew Birkeit	....	plasterer
Daniel Brook	....	carpenter
Benjamin Brown	....	construction coordinator
Bill Buckley	....	carpenter
Tommy Burke	....	carpenter
Tom Burnage	....	construction runner
Julie Busher	....	assistant art director
Dermot Butler	....	assistant construction manager
James Butler	....	carpenter
David Byrne	....	plasterer
Larry Byrne	....	plasterer
Thomas Carey	....	carpenter
Barry Carter	....	carpenter
Helen Chapman	....	art department runner
Greg Charlesworth	....	carpenter (as Gregory Charlesworth)
Sarah Choonara	....	assistant to painter
Frances Coleman	....	scenic painter
Tony Dixon	....	painter
David Doran	....	stand-by art director
Jon Doyle	....	prop storeman
Ciaran Drew	....	carpenter
Ciaran Drew	....	stand-by carpenter
Stephen Driver	....	carpenter
Paul Duffin	....	carpenter
Rob Dunbar	....	modeller
Kate Evans	....	art department runner
Richard Farrell	....	carpenter
Neil Featherstone	....	head painter (as Neil Featherston)
Andrew Garnet-Lawson	....	scenic painter
Neville Gaynor	....	painter
Zaman Ghulam	....	painter
Richard Gunn	....	carpenter
Brian Guy	....	stagehand
Neal Hakes	....	carpenter
Naomi Hanrahan	....	art department trainee
Jules Harris	....	prop storeman
Matthew Harrison	....	plasterer
Michael Hill	....	stand-by props
Lee Hockey	....	prop builder
Timothy Horne	....	carpenter
Martin Hunter	....	carpenter
Simon Jacobs	....	carpenter
Gemma Jones	....	assistant to painter
Martin Kenny	....	stand-by painter
Dave Kinsella	....	dressing props (as David Kinsella)
David Knott	....	carpenter
Katie Lee	....	assistant to painter
Tom Lundy	....	head painter (as Tommy Lundy Jr.)
Tom Lundy	....	painter (as Tommy Lundy Sr.)
Charles Maloney	....	painter (as Charlie Moloney)
James McGetrick	....	stand-by prop
Rob Menzer	....	plasterer
Annie Millar	....	assistant scenic painter
Brian Molloy	....	carpenter
Pat Mosley	....	prop storeman (as Paddy Andrew Mosley)
Colm Murphy	....	supervising carpenter
Richard O'Brien	....	stand-by props
Charlotte O'Connor	....	assistant prop buyer
Ian Olivia	....	carpenter
Jimmy O'Meara	....	stagehand
Ian Osborne	....	stand-by painter
Thomas O'Shaughnessy	....	painter (as Tommy O'Shaughnessy)
Michael Parkin	....	plasterer
Dave Peters	....	chargehand dressing props (as David Peters)
John Prideaux	....	joiner
Brendan Rankin	....	draughtsman
David Reilly	....	property master
Oliver Roberts	....	stand-by art director
Anthony Smith	....	art department runner
Joe Swaine	....	carpenter (as Joe Swain)
Fanny Taylor	....	prop buyer
Bill Thomas	....	construction manager: UK
Fraser Thorne	....	carpenter
Becky Timon	....	plasterer
Richard Touch	....	carpenter (as Richard 'Badger' Touch)
Anke Vorwick	....	model maker
Terrence Wallace	....	storeman
Anthony Walsh	....	stagehand
Gavin Walsh	....	carpenter
Josephine Warne	....	graphic artist
Alex Wharton	....	carpenter
Simon Whitelegg	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Iain Anderson	....	assistant sound editor
Jamie Ballinger	....	second boom operator
Brendan Deasy	....	sound recordist
Caoimhe Doyle	....	foley artist
John Fitzgerald	....	foley recordist
John Fitzgerald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kahl Henderson	....	adr editor
Kahl Henderson	....	dialogue editor
Lee Herrick	....	foley editor
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lorraine Keiller	....	adr editor
Lorraine Keiller	....	dialogue editor
Giles Lamb	....	sound designer
Niamh Learmont	....	second boom operator
Douglas MacDougall	....	supervising sound editor
Micheal MacKinnon	....	foley artist
Nicky Moss	....	foley editor
Jamie Roden	....	adr recordist
Chris Sinclair	....	sound effects editor
Peter Slater	....	boom operator
Ted Swanscott	....	adr recordist
Nick Watson	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Geoff Foster	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)
Brendan Geaney	....	transfer recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Mike H.G. Bates	....	special effects makeup (uncredited)
Mike Stringer	....	special effects makeup (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Neil Culley	....	digital artist
Mick Harper	....	digital artist
Barrie Hemsley	....	visual effects producer
Sarah Hemsley	....	visual effects: The Senate Visual Effects
Richard Higham	....	digital artist
Duncan Kinnaird	....	visual effects supervisor
Robin Konieczny	....	digital artist
Andrew MacLeod	....	digital artist
Warren J. Mills	....	digital and film I/O
Anna Panton	....	visual effects coordinator
Dylan Penhale	....	digital systems and network
Rupert Smith	....	visual effects: The Senate Visual Effects
Tim Walton	....	digital artist
Matt Westrup	....	digital artist
Doug Luberts	....	visual effects assistant editor (uncredited)
Jason Piccioni	....	additional visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Anthony Condren	....	stuntman (as Tony Condren)
Brendan Condren	....	stuntman
Joe Condren	....	stunt coordinator
Patrick Condren	....	stuntman
Trudy Gorlik	....	stuntman
Dylan Kelly	....	stuntman
Norman Kelly	....	stuntman
John Sheridan	....	stuntman

Camera and Electrical Department
Karl Bell	....	electrician
Sonny Burdis	....	best boy
William Cash	....	electrician (as Will Cash)
Hugh-Thomas Cavanagh	....	electrician (as Hugh Cavanagh)
Ronald Coe	....	video assist operator
Carlos De Carvalho	....	first assistant camera
Con Dempsey	....	gaffer: Ireland
Con Dempsey Jr.	....	electrician
Bryan Duggan	....	third assistant camera (as Brian Duggan)
Padraic Faherty	....	electrician
Simon Farrelly	....	stand-by rigger
Philip Fitzsimons	....	rigging gaffer
Howard Gibson Steele	....	electrician (as Howard Gibson-Steel)
Adam Harris	....	electrician
Michael Hayes	....	electrician
Jon Hearn	....	electrician
Damien Heffernan	....	electrician
Graham Hill	....	electrician
Colm Hogan	....	still photographer
Louise MacEllin	....	third assistant camera (as Louise McEllin)
Mike Mooney	....	best boy
James Morgan	....	video assist operator
Luke Myslowski	....	assistant grip
Peter Myslowski	....	grip
Richard Nevin	....	electrician
Eugene O'Sullivan	....	generator operator
Morgan Peline	....	third assistant camera
Liam Phelan	....	electrician
Danny Reilly	....	head rigger
Lilia Sellami	....	second assistant camera
David Smith	....	gaffer: UK
Grant Weir	....	electrician
Troy Boggess	....	rigging electrician (uncredited)
Alan Grayley	....	electrician (uncredited)
Eugene Grobler	....	electrician (uncredited)
Laurence Manly	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Aideen McCarthy	....	camera trainee: second unit (uncredited)
Howard Smith	....	Steadicam operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
Howard Smith	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Faith Allbeson	....	assistant to casting director
Orla Maxwell	....	assistant to casting director
Sooki McShane	....	casting: children
Alyson Lockwood	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Samantha Cousins	....	wardrobe assistant
Emma Fryer	....	stand-by costumer
Trudy Gorlik	....	seamstress
Pat Greenwood	....	seamstress
Holly Hughes	....	dresser
Hazel Mall	....	wardrobe supervisor
Julie Nash	....	stand-by costumer
Keelin O'Síochain	....	assistant costume designer (as Keelin O'Siochain)
Andrew Ross	....	dresser: Ian McKellen
Sue Wain	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Giles Burgess	....	first assistant film editor
Neil Hurford	....	color grader
Christopher Lloyd	....	additional assistant film editor (as Chris Lloyd)
Jason Wheeler	....	negative cutter (uncredited)

Music Department
Alison Butters	....	music supervisor: UK
Chuck Choi	....	score recordist: Firehouse Recording Studio
David Clegg	....	musician: tenor horn
Mick Delaney	....	musician: baritone
Mick Delaney	....	musician: second coronet
Marc Fantini	....	additional music arranger
Steffan Fantini	....	additional music arranger
Jim Fieldhouse	....	musician: trombone
Mike Flicker	....	supervising music editor
Matt Friedman	....	music editor
Paul Harrison	....	musician: third coronet
Charles Hindmarsh	....	musician: bass
Dan Jazwinski	....	musician: percussion
Neil Jowett	....	conductor
Steve Kempster	....	score mixer
The Lindey Band	....	musicians: brass band
Kevin Mayfield	....	music production assistant
Dave Metzger	....	additional music arranger
Glyn Nash	....	musician: principal coronet
Bryon Rickerson	....	assistant music editor
Dick Bernstein	....	temp music editor (uncredited)
Scott Fraser	....	music programmer (uncredited)
Fionn Higgins	....	assistant scoring mixer (uncredited)
Paul Leonard-Morgan	....	conductor (uncredited)
Paul Leonard-Morgan	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Dave Metzger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Nick Wollage	....	score recordist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
William Andria	....	unit driver
Danny Blain	....	driver: facility
Reggie Blain Jr.	....	driver: facility (as Reggie Blain)
Victor Blain	....	driver: facility
Stephen Carroll	....	action vehicles: Motorhouse Hire
Con Cleary	....	unit driver
James Cullen	....	unit driver
Paul Cullen	....	transportation captain
Jim 'Boxcar' Farrelly	....	unit driver
Matthew Freeman	....	unit driver
Donato Edward Kay	....	unit driver
Terence Morrison	....	driver: facility (as Terrence Morrison)
Peter Rosebottom	....	driver: minibus
Clark Tracy	....	driver: facility (as Clarke Tracy)
Tony Troy	....	driver: prop runaround
Tom West	....	unit driver
Jim Whiskers	....	driver: construction runaround (as Jim 'Whiskers' Tansey)

Other crew
Peter Alexander	....	location trainee
Anthony Bagley	....	location runner
Dean Baker	....	location runner
Tony Black	....	psychology advisor
Jeremy Burnage	....	assistant production coordinator
Lisa Byrne	....	production coordinator: Samson Films
Con Cremins	....	accountant
Manuela Cripps	....	assistant: Natasha Richardson
Rebecca Daly	....	production trainee
Deirdre Doorley	....	assistant accountant
Peter Eardley	....	assistant accountant
Geraldine Finn	....	tutor
David Finnigan	....	production assistant
Gillian Flood	....	assistant production coordinator
Ron Forder	....	assistant production accountant
Magali Gibert	....	production coordinator
Elaine Gill	....	production financing: Anglo Irish Bank
Jonathan Grafton	....	production runner
Brendan Gunn	....	voice coach
Kieran Hennessy	....	location manager: Ireland
James Hickey	....	legal affairs: Samson Films, Matheson Ormsby Prentice
Manus Home	....	location manager: UK
Sasfi Hope-Ross	....	assistant location manager
Ruth Hunter	....	legal affairs: Samson Films, Matheson Ormsby Prentice
Janet Kearsley	....	stand-in
Miriam Kelly	....	accounts assistant (as Miriam C. Kelly)
Sue Lefton	....	choreographer
Jeanette McGrath	....	script supervisor
Liz Miller	....	unit publicist: McDonald Rutter
Derek Mullen	....	stand-in
Clive Noakes	....	laboratory contact
Michael O'Sullivan	....	production financing: Angle Irish Bank
Daniella Pearman	....	production runner
Bernie Phillips	....	stand-in (as Bernard Phillips)
Jo Pond	....	production accountant
Jake Roberts	....	assistant to director
Kerry Robinson	....	location runner
Diana Scrivener	....	assistant choreographer
Erik William Smith	....	production executive (uncredited)
Katherine Stockall	....	accounts assistant
Jane Trower	....	assistant accountant
Lucas Verbist	....	unit nurse
Gaynor Watts	....	tutor
Monika Agorelius	....	electronic press kit (uncredited)
Francisco Cortes	....	acquisitions & co-productions: Paramount Classics (uncredited)
Miguel Costilliano	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Tara McNamee	....	extras coordinator (uncredited)
Roman Viaris-de-Lesegno	....	production financing (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Classics (presents)
• Seven Arts Pictures (as Seven Arts) (presents)
• Samson Films
• Mace Neufeld Productions (in association with)
• Zephyr Films

Distributors

• Paramount Classics (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2005) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Acteurs Auteurs Associés (AAA) (2006) (France) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• NoShame Films (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• RTL Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL8) (first national airing)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2006) (Argentina) (all media)

Special Effects

• Cine Image Film Opticals (digital titles) (end titles) (digital effects) (opticals)
• Hybrid Enterprises
• Senate Visual Effects, The

Other Companies

• Hyperactive Broadcast  editing equipment
• A&L Goodbody  legal representation: Seven Arts
• Angels the Costumiers  costumes
• Anglo Irish Bank  production financing
• Ardmore Sound  sound re-recording
• Central England Film Caterers  catering
• Centrespur Corporate Services  financial services
• Cine Electric Ltd.  lighting equipment
• Cine Image Film Opticals  titles (as CineImage)
• Close-Up Productions (I)  epk
• Crannog Films  co-developer
• David Deane Associates  health and safety
• Deluxe  color
• Filmscapes Ltd.  greens and plants (as Filmscapes)
• Firehouse Recording Studio  score recording facility
• International Film Guarantors  completion guaranty
• Jason Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Lee Lighting  lighting equipment
• London Welsh Medical Services  unit medics
• Matheson Ormsby Prentice  legal affairs: Samson Films
• McDonald and Rutter  unit publicist (as McDonald Rutter)
• McEvoy Catering  catering
• Motorhouse  action vehicles (as Motorhouse Hire)
• Movie Go  facilities vehicles (as Movie-Go Ltd.)
• Near North Entertainment  insurance (as Near North Entertainment & Network Insurance)
• On Set Location Services  facilities vehicles (as On-Set Location Services)
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script
• Savalas Audio Post-Production  sound post-production (as Savalas)
• The Film Game  film stock
• Vehicles in Vision  action vehicles supplier

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, some violence and brief language.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Ireland:16 | Singapore:M18 (edited version) | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:12 | USA:R (certificate #40745) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Argentina:16 | Germany:16 | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Italy:VM14 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:12 | France:U | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Paramount Classics

Trivia:

Natasha Richardson's leading man would have been husband Liam Neeson but for his contractual ties with Kinsey (2004)

Quotes:

Max Raphael: I want you to understand what's going to happen next. The shock will wear off, and it will be replaced by a devastating grief. In time, you will come to terms with what you have done and you'll just be very, very sad. And that sadness will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Movie Connections:

References Vertigo (1958)

A thunderbolt

Anyone calling Natasha Richardson's Stella Rafael a "sexually bored housewife" is Not Paying Attention. What happens to her and to Marton Csokas' Edgar is a thunderbolt--a life changing charge that flashes through them both and changes them forever. They have much more in common with Heathcliff and Cathy (of "Wuthering Heights") than any other lovers I've seen on screen in the 21st century: consumed, obsessed to the point of (and beyond) madness in one another, not out of selfishness but out of a cosmic passion that takes them both utterly by surprise. Certainly, Edgar is a pathologically jealous man: mad, bad and dangerous to know. But madmen can fall in love, too, and he is taken entirely unawares by his passion for the icy, closed-off Stella. What seems on the surface to be a re-enactment of "Lady Chatterly's Lover" turns into the darkest of passion plays. Neither the writer nor the director succumbed to the temptation to make this a sentimental romance or a soap opera; these are dangerous people making dangerous choices, and sometimes dangerous, even tragic mistakes. Like Heathcliff and Cathy, there is no way this story is going to have a happy ending, or these people anything but a tortured denouement. But they are fascinating to watch while they do it.

Marton Csokas absolutely burns through the screen, all fire and smoky, mad eyes to counter Richardson's ice cool yet profoundly moved Stella. Together they heat up to the boiling point and spill over into an explosive combination of lust, love, and tragedy. Ian McKellan's smirking Peter the Freudian is wonderful as the manipulative puppet-master who is not really as clever as he thinks he is. Alas, Hugh Bonneville plays Stella's husband as a one-dimensional cartoon. It's only partly his fault, the character is written that way, but he brings neither subtlety nor nuance to the role. The movie might have been better if McKellan had been cast as the husband, and Bonneville as the shrink. Neither of these characters, however, can hold the screen against the incandescent Edgar and Stella, right up to a surprising and inevitable ending. Even if you condemn them for the disaster they create, you know why they create it. Excellent and disturbing. Highly recommended.