Stonehearst Asylum (4/10): A poor attempt at creating a suspenseful gothic film

“We're all mad Dr. Newgate. Some are simply not mad enough to admit it.”

Set in a mental institution during the end of the 19th century it’s hard not to compare this gothic thriller to Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island. Whereas Scorsese managed to create a film with an eerie atmosphere full of intrigues and thrills, Stonehearst Asylum fails to do so. It seems to have the perfect setting and cast to do so, but director Brad Anderson (known for The Machinist) isn’t able to come up with a compelling script. There is a scene during the opening of the film where a young doctor played by Jim Sturgess arrives at this gothic asylum and the atmosphere seems ideal for a great suspenseful thriller, but the story never seems to catch on with the visuals and the atmosphere is lost. It isn’t enough to make a film with a gothic look if the story isn’t engaging, and this movie is proof yet again that a talented cast doesn’t always make for a good film. Jim Sturgess, Kate Beckinsale, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Kingsley, and Michael Caine all star in this film which should automatically make it worth giving it a watch, but unfortunately the script doesn’t do anything to make their characters interesting. The film is based on Poe’s short story, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, but the adaptation to the big screen doesn’t necessary make for a good watch.   

The plot revolves around Dr. Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) who arrives at a remote mental institution to offer his assistant. Despite his young age, he is eager to help these mentally ill patients and Dr. Silas Lamb (Ben Kingsley) greets him with enthusiasm. Edward realizes that Lamb’s methods are a bit unorthodox as he allows his patients to run around freely in the institution helping around with the chores. Mickey Finn (David Thewlis) is Lamb’s right hand man, but he seems a bit unstable and many of the patients seem to fear him. When Edward meets Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale), a patient who seems very enlightened and educated, he immediately becomes infatuated with her. She seems to have issues with touch and intimacy, but at the same time she is also a very caring individual who looks after some of the patients in the ward. Early in the movie there is a twist that I won’t give away, but where Edward is introduced to some other characters among which is Benjamin Salt (Michael Caine) who makes a very interesting claim that could change everything he has come to believe about the asylum. 

I think the revelation in the film is made too early on and it takes away from some of the suspense it could’ve benefited from. Once the reveal is made the film seems to lose some of the tension and it becomes a bit predictable along the way. It is a shame because there was an interesting cast to work with here. As stunning as she is in this film, Beckinsale doesn’t get much to do other than simply captivate audiences with her looks. Ben Kingsley and Michael Caine are such wonderful actors that I could’ve used more face off between the two. The film continues to deliver some twists along the way, but they never do anything to build the suspense. It has the right look, but it simply doesn’t transmit the suspense and the gothic atmosphere it so desperately tries to establish.

My Review: The Call (7/10)

"A lot of times you don't know how it ends. When your units get to a scene you sign off and they take over."

The Call is a very maddening film with a weak script, but somehow I really enjoyed this thriller which had me at the edge of my seat for the most part. Despite having a terrible and trashy ending, I am giving this film a passing grade because I was entertained throughout most of the movie. Halle Berry gives a terrific performance and she was one of the main reasons why I liked this film so much. The extreme close ups which focused on her facial expressions were really convincing and she got me emotionally involved with the story and made me care for the characters. This is the first film I've seen from director Brad Anderson and despite not being too impressed with the material I did enjoy the way he built the suspense and had me at the edge of my seat. This film seemed to have all the perfect ingredients to be a failure, but somehow he managed to deliver a strong film out of some pretty predictable and trashy stuff. My only complaint is the ending which in my opinion went a little too overboard and didn't connect well with the overall mood of the film.

Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) is one of the best 911 operators at her unit, but when she makes a terrible mistake with a call one night she decides to apply for a different position. Her judgement call cost the life of a young teenager who was abducted from her home and now Jordan is having trouble dealing with her mistake. She decides to teach rookie 911 operators from now on, but when one of those operators receives a call from a young girl trapped in the trunk of a car, Jordan decides to take over and help Casey (Abigail Breslin) escape from her abductor. With little time, Jordan tries to do the best she can to find a way to redeem herself from her past mistake and save this girl. The kidnaper is played by Michael Eklund, while Morris Chestnut plays Jordan's love interest.

The Call has some great suspenseful moments, although this tension is sometimes interrupted by some maddening moments that the screenwriters decided to include in the narrative. The film is full of flaws and the material is recycled in the most part, but somehow the film is engaging and exciting to watch. Thanks to Berry's performance, we are drawn to the story and deeply care for the characters. Since most of the film takes place entirely in one day there is little room for character development, but that is ok here because it allows the film to focus on the action, and the suspense works thanks to Berry who gives such a convincing performance that we care for what is going on. The villain doesn't bring much to the table considering he plays the typical neurotic role we've seen in other movies (think of Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs), but Abigail Breslin has proven she has grown as an actress. She also gives a strong performance as the victim and we care for her character. I would have given this film an even higher grade if it wasn't for the terrible ending which I thought didn't really connect with the rest of the story. It was a bit overblown, but that didn't make me dislike the film. I had a fun time and was at the edge of my seat during several parts of the story.