Asylum (DVD, 2006)

This is a D.H. Lawrence-like ("Lady Chatterley's Lover") sizzling adultery, murder, professional rivalry, mad passion, and very sexy novel-gone-to-screen. Natasha Richardson (as Stella Raphael), is a well to do enough mom of a grade school age boy and unhappy wife of her husband Max (Hugh Bonneville) who gets a position as Deputy Superintendent of a psychiatric institution for criminally insane people. Edgar Stark (Marton Csokas) is an institutionalized, depressed sculptor there, who sadistically murdered his wife. Lucky for Edgar he lands a great prison work job (guarded of course) at the Raphaels'. His duties suit his fancy as an artist as he gardens & restores the conservatory. Mrs. Raphael & Stark turn that conservatory into a hot bed of sexual pleasure.

When her emotionally controlling abusive husband & Stark's psychiatrist Peter Cleave (Sir Ian McKellen!!) & Max's penultimate professional rival who is forced to move with her son, Charlie (Gus Lewis), to rural Yorkshire Stark's doctor Cleave suspects Edgar, the wife murderer & Stella, the superintendent's wife are meeting each other in London (after Edgar escapes from the institution so he can be with Stella). The rivaling husband, Max & her psychiatrist, Dr. Cleave, watch very suspiciously; but, Max covers that he's got a major ulterior motive.

When a friend of Edgar's shows Stella where he is, their steaming sexual encounters ignite. Edgar asks Stella to decide whether to live with him or be forced to live as a torturous penance for having the affair in dull Yorkshire with her bully of an uppity husband & her beloved little son.

This story has been coined "David Mackenzie's . . . Gothic romance filled with erotic obsession, deception, and murder." It is set in England in late-1950s.

What will Stella Raphael do, prey tell? Go after Edgar, the murderous lover she's in love with or stay in her own home 'asylum', specially made for her to be captive by her husband, Max?

The film is expertly based on Patrick McGrath's (1997) novel, "Asylum." The deceptions & betrayals make for a very powerful story, indeed. Exquisite performances by McKellen (of course!), Csokas & Richardson make this show possess the quality of "Lady Chatterly's Lover," a classic with similar tensions, but "Asylum" has better quality performances.

I bought this movie to add to my Natasha Richardson collection. It was full of suspense, as well as some fairly intense love scenes (adults only)! Although, the passionate scenes are intrigal to the movie. The pace of the movie was great. You won't be bored. All performances are strong and very well done. I thoroughly enjoyed this film!