The i Inside
Encyclopedia
The I Inside is a 2003 psychological thriller
directed by Roland Suso Richter
. It was written by Michael Cooney based on his own play Point of Death. This film has no connection with the science-fiction novel, The I Inside, by Alan Dean Foster
.
and is unable to remember the last two years of his life. Cable investigates what has happened to him and slowly pieces together his enigmatic past.
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
directed by Roland Suso Richter
Roland Suso Richter
Roland Suso Richter is a German film director and producer.He also worked as a screenwriter and actor before settling for directing.- Biography :...
. It was written by Michael Cooney based on his own play Point of Death. This film has no connection with the science-fiction novel, The I Inside, by Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster
Alan Dean Foster is an American author of fantasy and science fiction. He currently resides in Prescott, Arizona, with his wife, and is also known for his novelizations of film scripts...
.
Plot
Simon Cable wakes up in a hospital bed, confused and disoriented. He soon discovers from doctors that he has amnesiaAmnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
and is unable to remember the last two years of his life. Cable investigates what has happened to him and slowly pieces together his enigmatic past.
Cast
- Ryan PhillippeRyan PhillippeMatthew Ryan Phillippe , better known as Ryan Phillippe, is an American actor. After appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live, he came to fame in the late 1990s starring in a string of films, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and 54...
as Simon Cable - Sarah PolleySarah PolleySarah Polley is a Canadian actress, singer, film director, and screenwriter. Polley first attained notice in her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series, Road to Avonlea...
as Clair - Piper PeraboPiper PeraboPiper Lisa Perabo is a Golden Globe Award nominated American stage, film and television actress.-Early life:Perabo was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, the daughter of Mary Charlotte , a physical therapist, and George William Perabo, a professor of poetry at Ocean...
as Anna - Stephen ReaStephen ReaStephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
as Doctor Newman - Robert Sean LeonardRobert Sean LeonardRobert Sean Leonard is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House...
as Peter Cable - Stephen LangStephen Lang (actor)Stephen Lang is an American actor and playwright. He started in theatre on Broadway but is well known for his film portrayals of Stonewall Jackson in Gods and Generals and George Pickett in Gettysburg , as well as for his 2009 roles as Colonel Miles Quaritch in Avatar and as Texan lawman Charles...
as Mr. Travitt
Critical reception
- The I Inside has been compared with such films as Memento, The Butterfly EffectThe Butterfly EffectThe Butterfly Effect is a 2004 American sci-fi psychological thriller film that is written and directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber and starring Ashton Kutcher and Amy Smart...
, eXistenZEXistenZeXistenZ is a 1999 body horror/science fiction film by Canadian director David Cronenberg. It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law....
, and Jacob's LadderJacob's Ladder (film)Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological thriller/horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, based on a screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin.-Plot:Jacob Singer is a U.S. soldier deployed in the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War...
in several critical reviews. The reason being that these films all feature similar story elements that tend to blur the distinctions between fantasy and reality.
- The film has generally received luke-warm reviews from online critics. Review sites such as Beyond Hollywood and DVD Town have commended the film for a rather involving first two-thirds, with the mystery slowly being revealed layer by layer, drawing in the viewer. However, these critics found the ending a let down, calling it a "gotcha" gimmick that causes "the past 70 or so minutes (to go) out the window".
- Currentfilm.com gives the most positive review of the film, bestowing a rating of 3 out of 4 stars and describing the film as "an absolutely terrific thriller, and a really great surprise". The review does put the proviso that there are "some minor story flaws and plot holes" but adds "that's not totally unexpected in a totally twisty film like this".
- Christopher NullChristopher NullChristopher Null is a film critic, columnist and former blogger for Yahoo! Tech, editor of Drinkhacker.com, and is the founder and editor in chief of Filmcritic.com.-Publications:...
of Filmcritic.com brings up a strange but interesting point: "The movie is based on a play with a much different title, one that actually gives away the surprise ending."
Film festivals
- March 2004 - Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Films
- July 2004 - München Fantasy Filmfest
- August 2004 - Espoo Film Festival
- September 2004 - Lund Fantastisk Film Festival
Production
- The film is the English-language debut of German director Roland Suso RichterRoland Suso RichterRoland Suso Richter is a German film director and producer.He also worked as a screenwriter and actor before settling for directing.- Biography :...
, whose previous credits include The TunnelDer TunnelDer Tunnel is a made-for-television German film released in 2001 and loosely based on true events in Berlin followingthe closing of the East German border in August 1961 and the subsequent construction of the Berlin Wall....
, After the Truth, and 14 Tage Lebenslänglich. Richter commented on the script by saying, "I was excited when I first read the script and if I can give something like that to the audience, that would be great." - Production began on June 5, 2002 in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
on a budget of about $10 million and wrapped in the middle of July, 2002. - For the backdrop of the film, the production crew used Sully Hospital, near PenarthPenarthPenarth is a town and seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan , Wales, 5.2 miles south west from the city centre of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff and lying on the north shore of the Severn Estuary at the southern end of Cardiff Bay...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in south WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. - Ryan PhillippeRyan PhillippeMatthew Ryan Phillippe , better known as Ryan Phillippe, is an American actor. After appearing on the soap opera One Life to Live, he came to fame in the late 1990s starring in a string of films, including I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, and 54...
commented on filming in Wales, which was his first trip to the country, "The people are great and I have found some world-class restaurants, which is nice when you are get off from filming and want to go somewhere to relax." - Analyzing the criminal psyche is a common motif in Cooney's films and plays, and The i Inside is no exception. Though he himself is a stranger to real-life criminal trauma, Cooney explains that, "It's true that (criminal) psychologyCriminal psychologyCriminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals. It is related to the field of criminal anthropology. The study goes deeply into what makes someone commit crime, but also the reactions after the crime, on the run or in court...
is a recurring theme of all my plays — those that aren't comedies, anyway. And while I don't have any background in it, I maintain that it's because I had such a happy childhood. It allowed me to explore the darker side of things, because I knew I would never get lost there."
External links
- The i Inside at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...