Asylum

Based on the 1996 novel by Patrick McGrath, Asylum is the story of a 1950's era housewife's descent into crazyville. Overlooked by her husband, marginalized by her mother in law, and relegated to the background of life surrounding a mental hospital situated in the middle of nowhere, it's really no surprise that Stella Raphael takes up with one of the patients.

How you doin'?

Edgar Stark, aka Guy deLusignan from Kingdom of Heaven, actually pays attention to her, you see, staring at her with the same smoldering eyes he used on Eva Green in Kingdom of Heaven and later, Jessica Chastain in The Debt. He also played Borias in Xena, the Warrior Princess. I'm almost ashamed to admit I watched the hell out of that show but I'd all but forgotten about Borias so maybe I can be forgiven. Teenagers are dumb.

I'm too sexy for my side burns, too sexy for my side burns

Also dumb, Lord Grantham, I mean Dr Max Raphael who doesn't realize his wife has been doing not so appropriate things with a man who cut off his previous lover's head in a jealous rage. But don't worry, Gandalf, erm, Dr Cleave says Captain Decapitation is perfectly safe, he just has a personality disorder, sparked by intense jealousy. He'll be fine as long as he doesn't become obsessed with anyone.

Is creepy mccreepster a super power?

Did Dr Cleave see this coming from a mile away? That's the only question left unanswered in this movie. The rest is quite beautifully done, with Natasha Richardson doing an excellent job portraying the deteriorating mental state of a woman caught in the midst of three men who care not a whit for her needs.

I blame it all on them.

Asylum is available on Amazon Prime. Give it a go if you're interested in something a little bit twisted but very well acted. And if you do, please come back and tell me what you think of McKellen's Doctor Cleave. What did he know and when did he know it?

Who run the world? Wizards run the world.