Stonehearst Asylum

Stonehearst Asylum
Teaser poster
Directed by	Brad Anderson
Produced by	Bruce Davey Mark Amin Mel Gibson
Screenplay by	Joseph Gangemi
Based on	"The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"  by Edgar Allan Poe
Starring	Kate Beckinsale Jim Sturgess Michael Caine Ben Kingsley David Thewlis Brendan Gleeson
Music by	John Debney
Cinematography	Thomas Yatsko
Edited by	Brian Gates
Production company	Icon Productions Sobini Films
Distributed by	Millennium Films
Release dates	October 24, 2014 (2014-10-24) (US)
Running time	113 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Language	English

Stonehearst Asylum, previously known as Eliza Graves, is an American thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Joseph Gangemi, loosely based on the short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether"^[2] by Edgar Allan Poe. The film, starring Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, and David Thewlis, was released on October 24, 2014.

Plot

In 1899, an Oxford University professor demonstrates a case of female hysteria, Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale), before his class. Though she protests that she is sane, the professor points out that all mental patients claim to be sane, much as all criminals claim to be innocent. The professor advises his students to believe nothing they hear and only half of what they see. Later, a young man arrives at Stonehearst Asylum, where he desires to take up residency. A group of armed men led by Mickey Finn (David Thewlis) allow him entry. Finn escorts him to the office of the superintendent, Dr. Silas Lamb (Ben Kingsley), where the young doctor introduces himself as Dr. Edward Newgate (Jim Sturgess) from Oxford. Although Lamb was not expecting him, despite Newgate having sent letters preceding his arrival, he welcomes the help of an Oxford-educated doctor.

Newgate is surprised by Lamb's unorthodox methods. Lamb says that he does not believe in drugging or incarcerating his patients, and he encourages their delusions when he feels it will bring them greater happiness. Newgate becomes infatuated with Graves, now a resident at Stonehearst, when introduced to her. Lamb explains that Graves is a beautiful woman with an abused and painful past. She was raped and molested by her then-fiancé who had an "appetite" and got hysteria. One night, after their engagement, unable to control his lust, Charles Graves threw himself onto Eliza and tried to force her into sodomy. However, she resisted him, stabbing him in the right eye with a fork and biting his left ear. Hence, her father became angered and threw her into the asylum after forcing her to marry her "monster", who has since been trying to free her. Though she brushes aside his attempts at flirtation, she is struck by his humility and respectful demeanor. A fancy feast follows, during which the staff and patients mingle. Newgate and Finn argue, and, as a truce, Finn proposes a toast. Before Newgate can drink it, Graves causes him to spill his drink. As she helps him to clean up, Graves quietly insists that he flee the asylum, but Newgate refuses to leave without her.

Hearing a strange noise coming from the heating vent in his room, Newgate goes to investigate the boiler room. In the basement, he finds a large number of imprisoned people begging him for help. Initially believing them to be delirious patients, Edward starts to leave, only to be stopped by one of them shouting his name, having read the letters Lamb claimed they had not received. The prisoners reveal that they are the actual staff of Stonehearst, and the doctors and nurses Newgate has met are actually patients. He meets the real superintendent, Dr. Benjamin Salt (Michael Caine), who explains that Lamb and Finn drugged their drinks and led a revolt. Dr. Salt and Mrs. Pike (Sinéad Cusack), the matron, warn Newgate that Lamb is a dangerous madman – a surgeon who murdered his patients during wartime. Salt tells him that, even if he were to release them, they would not be able to fight Lamb's armed men in their weakened state. Salt tells him instead to leave them in the cells and return to London for help. Other staff disagree and tell him to find the keys and free them. Newgate attempts to recruit Graves, but she declines to become involved and tells him of Salt's abuses. Two of the staff escape from the boiler room, but are hunted down and killed by Finn, who continues to grow more suspicious of Newgate. When Newgate sneaks into Lamb's office to retrieve Salt's notes, he overhears Lamb and Finn conspire to tie up loose ends by the New Year. This takes the form of electrical shock treatment, which Lamb forces Newgate to perform on Salt. When Salt suffers amnesia, Lamb proclaims him cured of his delusion that he is the true administrator.

During the New Year's celebration, Finn murders one of the young female patients, which Lamb brushes off as an accidental death. Convinced that something must be done, Newgate attempts to spike the celebratory champagne. He is caught by Finn, who then pulls a knife on Newgate. Newgate fights with Finn who falls into a coal bin and supposedly is crushed by more coal dumped on to him after Newgate pulls a lever. Finn appears as the revelers are about to drink the spiked champagne and warns them all not to drink it.

Lamb prepares Newgate for electric shock therapy. Before it begins, Newgate reveals to Graves that he came to the asylum to rescue her once he saw her at the Oxford demonstration. Lamb grants Newgate a final request: to see a picture of Graves that he keeps in his pocket. When the picture turns out to be one of Lamb's victims, the shock causes Lamb to stagger out of the room in a daze. Finn goes to pick up the electric prods and just before he electrocutes Newgate, Graves shoves the gurney Newgate is on and knocks Finn over. Graves picks up the electric prods and kills Finn, who catches fire. The fire then spreads as Graves leads the patients out of the building and Newgate leaves to find Lamb, who has now become near-comatose from the guilt over his actions. Flashbacks reveal that Lamb, under extreme pressure, executed his patients as a form of mercy killing.

After they have rescued the others, as daylight breaks, Newgate again asks Graves to leave with him, but she says that she cannot be with him because he is sane and she is not. Newgate says that he is not sane, as he is madly in love with her, and he intimates that he has a secret to tell her.

Later, Graves' husband and the earlier Oxford professor arrive at the asylum. The professor asks for Mrs. Graves' release, but Mrs. Pike, who is now in charge, says that Newgate already released her. The professor reveals that he is actually Newgate, and the man they knew is an escaped mental patient. Mrs. Graves and the impostor Newgate are shown in Tuscany, Italy, where they are known as Dr. and Mrs. Lamb. The two dance happily and embrace in a beautiful garden.

Cast

• Kate Beckinsale as Eliza Graves^[3]
• Jim Sturgess as Edward Newgate^[4]
• Michael Caine as Dr. Benjamin Salt^[5]
• Ben Kingsley as Dr. Silas Lamb^[5]
• David Thewlis as Mickey Finn^[6]
• Brendan Gleeson as The Alienist^[6]
• Sinéad Cusack as Mrs. Pike^[7]
• Sophie Kennedy Clark as Millie^[7]
• Christopher Fulford as Paxton^[7]
• Jason Flemyng as Swanwick
• Edmund Kingsley as Charles Graves

Production

Principal photography began in Bulgaria on June 21, 2013.^[8] On July 31, 2014, the film's title Eliza Graves was changed to Stonehearst Asylum.^[9]

Music

On November 25, 2013, John Debney was set to score the music for the film.^[10] The soundtrack was released digitally on October 14, 2014, and will be released physically on November 11.^[11]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 50% of 28 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 5.7/10. The site's consensus reads: "Stonehearst Asylum offers over-the-top fun for genre aficionados; for others, however, it's likely to prove a dull disappointment."^[12] Metacritic rated it 50/100 based on twelve review.^[13]

Common criticism for the film centered upon what the reviewers felt was the film's failure to live up to its full potential,^[14][15] and the Los Angeles Times wrote, "On the surface, Anderson seems to have all the necessary pieces for a surreal psycho pop. But the fear factor eludes him, leaving "Stonehearst Asylum" more insipid than insane."^[16]

Film Journal International and The A.V. Club both praised the film for its themes;^[17] the reviewer for Film Journal International wrote, "While the film lacks the macabre humor of the original story, it does an excellent job of conveying the creeping horror of Victorian medicine."^[18]

See also

• Shutter Island, a 2010 film, where Ben Kingsley plays a similar role.

References

External links

• Stonehearst Asylum at the Internet Movie Database