British Actress Blog

Stonehearst Asylum (2014)

Score: 7/10

Director: Brad Anderson

Stars: Kate Beckinsale, Jim Sturgess, David Thewlis, Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine.

Stonehearst Asylum

Kate Beckinsale

Synopsis: An Oxford graduate applies for a job in a mental institution, only to discover that the ‘revolutionary’ new treatments are inhumane and that in this place of healing, nothing is what it seems.

Review: Edward Newgate ( Jim Sturgess ) is an Oxford student who wishes to complete his training as an alienist (psychiatrist) at the asylum known as Stonehearst. He meets the head doctor in charge Silas Lamb ( Ben Kingsley ) and the two hit it off well. Edward is fascinated by the humane methods of medical care taught by Silas and wants to learn more.

Eliza

Kate Beckinsale

Kate Beckinsale does very well in this film. This is not her best role but way better than a lot of films I have reviewed of hers lately. Ben Kingsley role in this film is better than his role in the mediocre and ridiculous film Collide (2016). Here you can see that his character Silas is a thinking man no matter what his position in this film is. David Thewlis plays a low life very well in this film. Its a stark contrast to his roles as a gentlemen in films like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) and Regression (2015) with Emma Watson and Ethan Hawk. Michael Caine does a good job here but all I see is Alfred From Batman Begins (2005).

Edward

Eliza

The film focuses on the concepts of love, superiority, and sanity. For the concept of love, we see the obvious in the beginning of the film. Edward has feeling for Eliza and he is willing to do what it takes to be with her. The real troubling parts of this film is the very realistic way people were experimented on in the early 1900’s. The film The Danish Girl (2015) with the Tomb Raider her self Alicia Vikander and Eddie Redmayne, had Eddie’s character suffering from gender dysphoria and feels as though he was supposed to be born a female. He tells his wife Gerda ( Alicia Vikander ) about his feeling and she tries to help him become more feminine at the same time she sends him to different doctors to ‘heal’ him of his mentality. The doctors of the time apply some of the most horrific and barbaric ‘therapies’ on him to cure him.

Edward

and Silas

The Ideology of doctors of that era is one of superiority. They hold others down in order to build themselves up with made up medicine with malicious methods that say more about their own psychology than their willingness the truly help others. That being said, these kind of men will chose the religion that give them dominion over other and that their ability to harm and suppress others is divine and given to them by their idea of god, just because it feeds their true inner psychology, men with power wanting more power. The concept of sanity is very interesting in the context of this film. Its more of a slippery slope rather than a straight forward approach. The doctors are right to lock up many of the dangerous patients in the ward but at the same time their methods of therapy are truely insane. Either way you look at it the nuts are running the nut house. This film is very Ironic.

interesting

Movie

The cinematography is very well done and truly captures the essence of the 1900’s. The backgrounds, set dressing, wardrobe, and props are excellent. This film has many plot twist and I enjoyed watching the film all the way through. The movie heavily focuses on the story and that is very much appreciated. This movie is better than middle of the road but not one of the best films. Its a decent watch.

More Kate Beckinsale Movies:

Total Recall (2012)

Underworld (2003)

The Disappointments Room (2016)

Vacancy (2007)

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