The i Inside

Infobox Film
name = The i Inside


caption =
director = Roland Suso Richter
producer =
writer = Michael Cooney
starring = Ryan Phillippe
Sarah Polley
Piper Perabo
Stephen Rea
Robert Sean Leonard
music = Nicholas Pike
cinematography = Martin Langer
editing = Chris Blunden
Jonathan Rudd
distributor = Dimension Films
Miramax Films
released = January 15, 2004 (TV Premiere)
runtime = 90 min
country = UK/USA
language = English
budget = $8,800,000 (estimated)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id = 1:288379
imdb_id = 0325596

"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 movie has no connection with the science-fiction novel, "The I Inside," by Alan Dean Foster.

Plot

*Simon Cable wakes up in a hospital bed, confused and disoriented. He soon discovers from doctors that he has 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 Phillippe - Simon Cable
*Sarah Polley - Clair
*Piper Perabo - Anna
*Stephen Rea - Doctor Newman
*Robert Sean Leonard - Peter Cable
*Stephen Lang - Mr. Travitt

Critical Reception

*The i Inside has been compared with such films as "Memento"Anthony Nield, [http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=56673 "The I Inside" Review] , "DVD Times"] , "The Butterfly Effect" [http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdreviews6/iinsidedvd.html "The I Inside" Review] , "Current Film"] , "eXistenZ"Anthony Nield, [http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=56673 "The I Inside" Review] , "DVD Times"] , and "Jacob's Ladder"Christopher Null, [http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/60e74e041ca9cd6b8625626f0062219f/352020feadc3337c88256fc70061538a?OpenDocument] , "Filmcritic.com"] 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" gimmickNix, [http://www.beyondhollywood.com/reviews/theiinside.htm "The I Inside" Review] , "Beyond Hollywood"] that causes "the past 70 or so minutes (to go) out the window"Nix, [http://www.beyondhollywood.com/reviews/theiinside.htm "The I Inside" Review] , "Beyond Hollywood"] .

*"Currentfilm.com" gives the most positive review of the film, bestowing a rating of "3 1/2" out of "4" stars and describing the film as "an absolutely terrific thriller, and a really great surprise" [http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdreviews6/iinsidedvd.html "The I Inside" Review] , "Current Film"] . 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" [http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdreviews6/iinsidedvd.html "The I Inside" Review] , "Current Film"] .

*Christopher Null 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."Christopher Null, [http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/60e74e041ca9cd6b8625626f0062219f/352020feadc3337c88256fc70061538a?OpenDocument] , "Filmcritic.com"]

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"

Miscellanea

*The film is the English-language debut of the German director Roland Suso Richter, whose previous credits include The Tunnel, 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." [http://www.starseeker.com/films/iinside.htm "The I Inside"] at "Star Seeker"]

*The title is parodied in the Futurama episode The Why of Fry.Fact|date=September 2008

Production

*Production began on June 5, 2002 in Wales on a budget of about $10 million and wrapped in the middle of July, 2002. [http://www.starseeker.com/films/iinside.htm "The I Inside"] at "Star Seeker"]

*For the backdrop of the film, the production crew used Sully Hospital, near Penarth, Cardiff in south Wales. [http://www.starseeker.com/films/iinside.htm "The I Inside"] at "Star Seeker"]

*Ryan Phillippe 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." [http://www.starseeker.com/films/iinside.htm "The I Inside"] at "Star Seeker"]

*Analyzing the criminal psyche is a common motif amongst screenwriter 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) psychology 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." [http://www.starseeker.com/films/iinside.htm "The I Inside"] at "Star Seeker"]

References

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0325596/maindetails "The I Inside"] at IMDb
* [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_inside/ "The I Inside"] at Rotten Tomatoes