CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 01/27/06

Mind Games

by jason davis

Patrick Marber and Chrysanthy Balis
Based on the novel by Patrick McGrath

Undertaking an appointment as deputy director of an English asylum in the '50s, Max Raphael (Hugh Bonneville) throws himself into work with the hope of ascending to the directorship upon his superior's retirement. Meanwhile, his neglected wife Stella (Natasha Richardson) falls in love with an inmate, Edgar Stark (Martin Csokas), who was committed for brutally murdering his wife. The first act of the screenplay does an excellent job of playing with the audience's sympathies. Despite what his sinister psychiatrist (Ian McKellen) says of him, Stark appears to be a romantic artist full of passion. The story makes Stella's descent into a dangerous relationship absolutely credible by making the madman the more enticing of her romantic options. A satisfactory psychological thriller, Asylum continues to play games with the viewer until the last minute of the film. No supplementary material is included.

Asylum
Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated R; 99 min.
$29.99

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At the age of 21, Jason Davis was hit in the face with a car. He has since devoted his life to writing. His words have appeared on TBS, MSN.com, and CS Weekly, where he serves as DVD manager. He lives in Burbank.

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