Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Leary's, Davis's and Scott's best work, August 6, 2002
Leary's, Davis's and Scott's best work, bar none. The screenwriter, Bruce McIntosh, also did a brilliant job. I've seen Leary miscast in so many films that it was wonderful finally seeing him in one that showed all facets of his talent. He should not be in light, frothy romantic comedies, which he's done, and this certainly is not a light, frothy, romantic comedy. I'm not even sure he should be in gangster films and I've seen him in several of those (ok at best). He and Hope Davis are great together here and come together better as a couple than he has come together with any other actress in a film. I've seen him in romance vehicles with other actresses, like Sandra Bullock, that were just dismal. He needs to do biting satire like he did in "The Ref" or outright layered, nuanced drama, like he does here. (I also loved his standup comedy act.) Leary's character, Bill, wakes up from a coma in a psychiatric hospital with delusions that he is about to be executed by some futuristic society which has unfrozen him from the past. However, under Hope Davis's care as Ann, his psychiatrist, he starts remembering trauma from his pre-coma life, including the death of his father, a break up with his fiance, and a drunken binge while driving. He starts to recover from his mental breakdown yet his delusions don't entirely disappear, surprisingly enough. Or are they delusions? Great blues music throughout. I'd heard nothing about this film and tried it out simply based on what I read on the box and Leary's, Scott's and Davis's involvement. I wasn't expecting a perfect 10 of a film but I sure got it! Hubby absolutely loved it too.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Slow start, powerful development, September 4, 2004
What at first looks to be a relatively standard drama of a patient in a mental institution turns out to be something far removed from that in this intriguing science fiction film. And make no mistake, this IS science fiction. Once the basic premise is revealed, it is crystal clear that what is really going on here challenges the main character and the viewer as well in their moral priorities.
The main character, Tyler, is played by Dennis Leary, who turns in a solid performance as someone whose paranoid fantasies of his current situation, ostensibly in said mental institution, fuse with his memories of a lost love from years before. His doctor is Hope Davis, here proving her versatility as, at first, a removed scientist, then gradually warming to her subject.
The doctor's sister is also a patient, but one confined because of a physical illness, not for reasons of mental deterioration. This is a key element in the puzzle of this film as it unravels, as is the ice-cold director of the institution and the complete geographical isolation of the institution itself.
As Tyler's memories become clearer, he simultaneously moves closer to the doctor emotionally. This very intelligent plot device is critical in the development of the story. The beginning is a bit slow, because of what, as mentioned, appears to be a fairly routine scenario. But stick around; it gets MUCH better.
A really well thought out script and fine acting make this a highly recommended, literate, science fiction film.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I can't get it out of my head, October 25, 2002
It is low budget, and borderline "sci-fi". BUT, it's also got an incredible story, excellent acting and intangible qualities that may make you want to cry in the end. With that said, it's not a chick-flick either (it's just that, I think I'm in love with Hope Davis after seeing this). And Leary totally saved the movie from obscurity for me. He is cast perfectly for this role. I won't tell any details, the less you know the better. Not for everyone, but if you like drama, sci-fi, and don't mind a bit of a slow start, you'll be glad you saw this movie. I can't wait to watch it again.
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