Spider (2002)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

Patrick McGrath (novel)
Patrick McGrath (written by)

Release Date:

13 September 2002 (Portugal)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

The only thing worse than losing your mind... is finding it again.

Plot:

A mentally-disturbed man takes residence in a halfway house. His mind gradually slips back into the realm created by his illness, where he replays a key part of his childhood.

Plot Keywords:

Halfway House | London | Schizophrenia | Spider | Betrayal

Awards:

12 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Ralph Fiennes	...	Spider
Miranda Richardson	...	Yvonne / Mrs. Cleg
Gabriel Byrne	...	Bill Cleg
Lynn Redgrave	...	Mrs. Wilkinson
John Neville	...	Terrence
Bradley Hall	...	Dennis Cleg as a child
Gary Reineke	...	Freddy
Philip Craig	...	John
Cliff Saunders	...	Bob
Tara Ellis	...	Nora
Sara Stockbridge	...	Gladys
Arthur Whybrow	...	Ernie
Nicola Duffett	...	Barmaid
Jake Nightingale	...	Large Man
Alison Egan	...	Flashing Yvonne

Also Known As:

Spider (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, brief violence and language.

Runtime:

98 min | Spain:94 min (DVD edition)

Country:

Canada | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:PG-12 | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cinespace Film Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Capitol Films

Trivia:

David Cronenberg received the screenplay from Patrick McGrath out of the blue, with a note attached saying that Ralph Fiennes was interested in playing the part of Spider. After about four pages, Cronenberg had decided that he wanted to do the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Camera is reflected in broken window of asylum.

Quotes:

Mrs. Wilkinson: What've you done? What have you done?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "SexTV: Dark Desires: Sexuality in the Horror Film (#5.15)" (2003)

Cronenberg does it again

After seeing every single Cronenberg film I've been able to find, I've come to one simple conclusion: I've seen entirely too little of his works. I have yet to see one film of his that I found a complete waste of time(though I did not find much point in The Brood). This is quite possibly my favorite film of his yet, and I guess that says something about how few of his films I've seen(as this seems like one of his more unappreciated films). The film is quite dark and bleak. It has a fairly slow pace, but there's plenty of atmosphere and I never really felt like turning it off. The plot is very good, and I liked the way it developed somewhat out of joint, with little continuity other than the main plot-line. The acting is superb. One actress performs two roles, and does so with such talent that I never realized they were being portrayed by one and the same person. I only discovered this after checking out the cast list. Spider is a very unsettling film, but I suppose Cronenberg has done far better in other films. For some reason, I just found this the more easily accessible of his films, the one that requires least afterthought to be understood, to decipher what he wanted to say. All of the other films by him that I've seen, I've required to basically 'be told' what the film was about... with this one, I thought for a while after seeing it, and figured it out, put the pieces together myself, without much difficulty. Maybe that's a problem for the film... it's too simple. It's far more simple than the usual Cronenberg, and that is what makes me like it more, and his more experienced and analyzing fans like it less. I recommend this film to any fan of Cronenberg and/or dark films. Don't expect to be able to figure out the film from just one viewing, and don't take anything you see in it at face value. 8/10