Eliza Graves (2014) Reviews

• Trailer

  EragonOrigins2014-11-01

  The movie is a good movie but thought I should mention this for the people who has made the trailer for this movie. well, first you should put a spoiler alert at the beginning of the trailer because the whole movie is in this trailer. First of all the trailer shouldn't reveal who is the real villain here. I was watching the trailer and I felt sorry for watching it because after watching it I knew what's going on in the movie. This is not the first movie to use this concept, so it wasn't so hard for someone to figure it out after watching this trailer. I really wish if I didn't watch the trailer. :( so, that;s pretty much it and thought worth mentioning anyway...

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• Brilliant!

  pjr2352014-10-30

  Had a great time watching this movie. I'm not a fan of 'old time-y' films but this was a good watch. The story was so that it kept my interest as I kept wondering where it was going to go with all this and I felt at one point it would turn out a bit cliché. I was wrong, and never bored getting from one scene to the next. I recommend it but I can't say much more other than I liked the cast (Don't want to spoil it). Great actors/actresses. I wondered what Kate Beckinsale was doing in such a film but then it all became clear, she did great, looked great. Micheal Caine, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Kingsley and even David Thewlis were all wonderful. It was my first time encountering Jim Sturgess in any film but he did a great job too, I mean, everyone was right at the top of their game. The movie is not fast on its feet and contains little action but it makes up for it all with a well told and engaging story. Plenty of suspense. Overall: I highly recommend it. Maybe not a 'must watch' but after you see it, you'll be glad you didn't miss it. Great ending too.

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• Take your meds and watch it

  RetroRick2014-10-25

  I did enjoy this film. Its a nice piece of Gothic melodrama rather than a Gothic horror (as it's made out to be) not least because its concern is to humanise rather than exploit its subject matter. 19th (and 20th) century mental asylums were fascinating and terrifying places, and fortunately or unfortunately depending on your opinion the film doesn't really explore the worst horrors that took place in those institutions. Etc is one of the 'abuses' that used to be forced on people, but since its still in some circumstances used today (as it can be effective for treating depression amongst other things) its got a slightly ambiguous status as an 'horror' treatment (although I've met people who were profoundly angry at being forced to undergo it). Despite this - the film works very well, not least because we never know quite what to expect from Ben Kingsley and the always top notch David Thewlis as the villains of the piece, and to go with the melodrama there's some genuine villainy & tragedy to keep the narrative going not to mention a few twists and turns. I've no idea how this relates to the tale by Edgar Allen Poe, but the director / writers have managed to balance the sense you get when reading a Wilkie Collins novel or other 19th century melodrama with the (slightly) more critical perspective we have today, although having said that the idea of a therapeutic community - an idea implicit in much of the film - remains quite controversial even today, where drug treatments as a first line of intervention remain the norm rather than the exception. Combined with this is the equally perhaps more controversial idea that sanity is a function of the society we live in - something which is definitely true to some extent - as in the example of hysteria the film addresses - but to what extent is far more controversial? The solution conjured at the end may or may not be if you like a psychotic departure from reality depending on your opinion on the nature of mental illness. Overall then a very nice little film, with a great cast, and good pacing.

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• Great cast and entertaining

  kandnmorgan2014-10-28

  Great acting from an impressive cast. Yes the story is based on a Poe story, but instead of finding it eerie I found myself laughing out loud at some parts,(maybe that's just me). If you haven't seen the trailer then all the better, a few twists and turns become apparent about 30mins into the film. But there is more to it so don't feel disappointed. In general an entertaining film about lunatics and an asylum, set in a Gothic era, the cast really do bring a lot to this film. Ben Kingsley imparticular brings so much to his character. I give it a good 7.5 out of 10

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• Exciting, Macabre, Gothic Thriller

  DareDevilKid2014-11-02

  Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK) Rating: 3.6/5 stars If you like period pieces, psychopathic characters, excellent actors, and plenty of atmospherics, then "Stonehearst Asylum" should be right up your alley. Between its distinctly modern intelligence and razor-sharp plotting, Director, Brad Anderson's clever contraption almost matches the heights of Gothic grandeur that keep Poe held in high esteem even today. Anderson clearly takes delight in all the proceedings, which is one of the reasons the film feels fresh. While the film might lack some the macabre drama and dark humor of the original Edgar Allan Poe tale, it still does a fine job of conveying a creepy, engaging thriller with a brilliant Gothic atmosphere and fine performances from its terrific ensemble cast. There's probably a brilliant, award-worthy film to be made about the inhumane way the medical practice dealt with the mentally ill in the past. This one isn't it, but it is nonetheless a solid, sturdy piece of entertainment. "Stonehearst Asylum" is an insane, Gothic thriller with a lot of chills, thrills, and fun to be had along the way.

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