202 - Stoneheart Asylum

    A new doctor travels out to an asylum in the middle of nowhere to finish his training.  Shortly after arriving, he discovers that the asylum has been taken over by the inmates, and that the head doctor is a patient.  He must manage his appearance and behavior until he can figure out a way to free the real staff, and prevent them from being slaughtered.
    I’ve been putting off watching this for a long time, even though I generally like movies set in asylums.  Plus, this is directed by Brad Anderson, who made Session 9, a fantastic movie.  It’s good.  They’ve got a strong cast, a great location, a great budget put toward set dressing and props.  Everything is wonderfully done in a period style.
    But it’s a bit slow.  I can’t point to anything that should have been trimmed, but the pacing is just luxuriously slow.  And even with that feeling, it still seems like developments happen at the right points.
    The highlight is the twist ending.  I really didn’t see it coming.  It doesn’t quite add that much to the story, nor does it tie up any loose ends, but it’s somehow a satisfying one.  It seems fitting, even if it isn’t necessary.
    The weirdest thing about this movie is that Kate Beckinsale got top billing.  I would make the argument that Ben Kingsley is the lead, followed by Jim Sturgess, then maybe a tossup between Kate Beckinsale and Michael Caine.
    I’d say this is worth a watch if you like asylum movies… Edgar Allan Poe… or period pieces like this.  But it requires a little more patience than I expected.  On the other hand, Session 9 required a bit of patience as well.