jhsteel I was fascinated by this story about the thin line between "madness" and obsession (which anyone might experience), and the idea that falling in love with a dangerous person can lead you into tragic events, unless you are brave enough to choose a different path. Tragic characters nearly always make some mistake that then leads them into an inexorable downward spiral, and this was no exception. I felt that Natasha Richardson's Stella was a tragic character and her liaison with Edgar was a dangerous step - once she became involved with him, she was effectively trapped. The parallels between the asylum and the people imprisoned there physically and Stella's imprisonment in her marriage were very effective and the tension of events which were quite unexpected made this a compelling tale. I was suspicious of the motives of Ian McKellen's character right from the start, and I believe that his intentions were manipulative and selfish throughout. Stella and Edgar acted according to what they thought was their own free will and yet somewhere they were being controlled. It was a scary insight into how powerless people could be when falling into the clutches of mental asylums, either as a patient or someone on the periphery. I recommend this thriller with the warnings that others have made over the sexual content which is essential to portray the obsessive and passionate relationship at its centre.

lastliberal There was so much promise in this story, but it just wasn't there. Maybe, if they had beefed up Sir Ian's role or had a husband that drew more sympathy, it could have been a great film.As it was, it was just passable, and not worthy of a watch recommendation, even with Sir Ian in the cast. He just seemed to phone in his role. That was a shame because he could have been written as more mischievous and allowed to stretch to the capability we know he has.Except for the utterly forgettable Maid in Manhattan, this is the first time I have seen Natasha Richardson. She did a good job in the role of a neglected housewife and pawn of Sir Ian.This was also the first film of director David Mackenzie's that I have seen. he appears to have some promise, but he just didn't show it here.

hesketh27 This is undoubtedly a good film, well acted, good period feel / details etc.. and I certainly enjoyed it, however, by the time I had finished watching it I couldn't help feeling that the it was somewhat out of balance. The last part of the film is all about Cleave getting his revenge on the errant couple because of his jealousy over the fact that Edgar had been stolen away from him. Unfortunately, the dramatic effect is lessened because not enough is made of his relationship with the pair early on in the film. Hints are given that he has a homosexual fixation on Edgar and that he is jealous when Stella starts to get too close to Edgar. Much more should have been made of this aspect to explain his vindictive behaviour towards the pair when he has them in his control at the climax, especially as the scenes where he deals directly with Edgar are very brief. Whether what we see is as a result of severe editing or whether the whole thing could have been written better I don't know. I plan to read the novel to find out whether more is made of this. Worth seeing, but certainly flawed.

Gordon-11 This film is about the wife of a psychiatrist who falls in love with one of the patients in the psychiatric institution.At the start, I thought that the scenes seem disjointed. The scenes were so short that it seems truncated and underdeveloped. However, as the film develops, the film no longer feels this way. Instead, this turns into an advantage because the scenes are only as long as they need to be, and hence the film is tight and intense, and things happen all the time. There is hardly room for the viewers to breathe!This is an intense film with a lot of emotions. We get to see love, hate, jealousy and regret. Both the director and the actors capture the emotions in the most vivid manner that makes me feel for the characters.The ending is rather unexpected, and the reaction of all the parties concerned in the film are also portrayed.