This film was marketed in the US as a thriller or mystery, but it was a drama through and through with some mystical elements thrown into the mix.
Synopsis
Psychiatrist Sam Foster assumes the care for a suicidal patient of a colleague of his who has taken a leave of absence. Henry Letham is obsessed with his idol Tristan Rêveur, a painter who killed himself on the Brooklyn Bridge on his 21st birthday. As Foster gets to know Letham better, he investigates his past only to find conflicting stories that make him question his own sanity. In the end, reality is revealed with the fate of Letham resolved and a fresh beginning for Foster.
Cast
Ewan McGregor plays Dr. Sam Foster. He’s fully capable in this film, showing an investment in the care of his patient as well as his own descent into madness. He captures the frustration that one would feel if they seemed to be living moments of their life over and over again.
Ryan Gosling proved his acting chops again in this role of the tortured and suicidal young man who planned to kill himself for the crimes he committed. His matter-of-fact portrayal at times helped clue in the observant viewer of the true nature of this film.
Janeane Garofalo stole every scene she was in, which weren’t many. While most consider her to be a comedienne, this feature showed a side to her that proves she can emote and act in serious roles. The scene between her and McGregor stands out as one of the best of the film.
Cinematography
Director Marc Forster took the script by David Benioff and brilliantly captured the truth behind the story with inventive cuts and angles. As you saw a subway pull up to the station and the doors open for example, the woman stepping out of the subway cuts to a woman stepping out of an elevator in an office. This was not a film that you could look away from if you wanted to capture the essence and meaning behind the goings on.
Throughout the film you caught slow motion glimpses of an event that culminates toward the end of the film. This gives the film a disjointed plotline that cuts back and forth, with flashes of scenes repeating much as the Foster character claims he is seeing. One of the prime examples was when he enters the apartment of Naomi Watts’ character and you see the same entrance four times in a row in succession leaving someone watching a DVD to wonder if it skipped.
Soundtrack
There was very little music throughout this film. It should be noted that Massive Attack’s “Angel” was used in another film Doug Limon’s “Go” (which I’m considering for my next film selection). Damien Rice’s “Cold Water” was a fitting song to play over the end titles. It’s gentle lyrics and rhythm helped soothe the viewer after the finality of the conclusion.
Memorable Moments
Other than the slow-motion bits where you could picture yourself being a vehicle that was crashing with shattered glass flying around and the world turning upside down as the car rolls, there really wasn’t anything that stood out in this film as memorable to me.
Actually, I’m revising my review because as I read other people’s comments on this film (which I don’t do before I watch it), a specific scene came to mind that does stick out. When Bob Hoskins is playing the blind man and he’s feeling Ewan McGregor’s face and hands and says “you’re not my son”. That’s a key moment in the film and also very memorable and moving.
Analysis
This is not a film that you want to sit down and watch for the fun of it. It is a thinking man’s film and one that leads you to introspection on the processes of life, love, death and after-life as well as the consequences of your actions. Even without knowing the truth behind the film, I quickly became aware that this film would lead to an inevitable twist along the lines of “The Village”, “The Others” or “The Sixth Sense”. The glimpses of reality that were shared were glaring to me and made me less concerned or connected to the thread that was building to the reveal. I was not able to separate myself from the process and suspend my disbelief. Still it was a fascinating look at what the mind can do and might be worth watching again once the truth is known to see how it was created. I will note that I didn’t pick up on the hint in Tristan Rêveur’s name, nor the fact that Letham is an anagram for Hamlet.
3 out of 5 stars
