Leo (2002)

Director:

Mehdi Norowzian

Writers:

Massy Tadjedin (written by) &
Amir Tadjedin (written by)

Release Date:

12 March 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The boy you were is not the man you are.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Ex Convict | Character Name In Title

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Joseph Fiennes	...	Stephen
Elisabeth Shue	...	Mary Bloom
Justin Chambers	...	Ryan Eames
Sam Shepard	...	Vic
Dennis Hopper	...	Horace
Deborah Kara Unger	...	Caroline
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Brynne
Jake Weber	...	Ben Bloom
Davis Sweatt	...	Leopold - age 11
James Middleton	...	Louis
Don Henderson Baker	...	Jack (as Don Baker)
David Burke	...	Thomas Kingsley
Amie Quigley	...	Ruth Livingston
Andrew Ruse	...	Mark
Zac Epstein	...	Kid #1

Also Known As:

Leopold Bloom (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexuality and violent content.

Runtime:

Canada:103 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Argentina:104 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Argentina:16 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Freewheel Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: A letter addressed to Oxford, Mississippi, clearly has the ZIP Code 64933. The ZIP Code for Oxford, Mississippi, is 38655. There is no city with the ZIP shown in the film; ZIP's beginning with "649" would be near Kansas City, Missouri.

Cinema elevated to great art

I bought this movie, Leo, three years ago in the "previously viewed" section of a ubiquitous movie rental company. I'd not heard of the movie until I saw it for sale that day and bought it merely because Joseph Fiennes was on the cover. What a gem I discovered. Not only in the fine cast but also in their performances, the direction and the cinematography. And this was Norowzian's directorial debut - outstanding.

As far as film and television media is concerned I am limited in terms of critical commentary by the fact that I don't watch television (I've never owned a television set) and thus see most movies either on the big screen or on my computer screen. However, this movie so profoundly moved me that I wrote a commentary on a note card and placed it inside the "Leo" DVD box the first time I saw the movie three years ago. I watched this movie again last week (I've watched Leo ten time since I bought it) and still feel strongly that this a great movie that ought to rank as a classic. Following is the commentary I initially wrote about "Leo" three years ago:

"In thirty-five years of watching movies and with an increasingly critical eye, I must rank this movie as one the best movies I have ever seen. To articulate a thought through an image; to express an emotion in a gesture is not just film making, it's poetry. The French Existentialist, Albert Camus said, "Like great works deep feelings mean more than they are capable of saying." This movie is the exact felicity of Camus."