Trauma (2004/I)

Director:

Marc Evans

Writer:

Richard Smith (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 2004 (Ireland)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Believe what you see what you believe.

Plot:

Awaking from a coma to discover his wife has been killed in a car accident, Ben's world may as well have come to an end...

Plot Keywords:

Car Crash | Ant | Hospital | Artist | Ant Farm

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Colin Firth	...	Ben
Naomie Harris	...	Elisa
Dorothy Duffy	...	Nurse
Cornelius Booth	...	Orderly
Dermot Murnaghan	...	Newscaster 1
Jamie Owen	...	Newscaster 2
Kirsty Young	...	Newscaster 3
Jamie Cameron	...	Reporter
Justin Edwards	...	Doctor
Nicola Cunningham	...	Reception Nurse
Paul Rattigan	...	Manor's Voice
Sean Harris	...	Roland
Kenneth Cranham	...	Detective Constable Jackson (as Ken Cranham)
Nina Hossain	...	Reporter
Alison David	...	Lauren Parris
Martin Hancock	...	Emery Jones
Tommy Flanagan	...	Tommy
Mena Suvari	...	Charlotte
Brenda Fricker	...	Petra
Jo Maxwell Muller	...	Grief Stricken Woman
Andrew MacLachlan	...	Grief Stricken Man
Bill Maloney	...	Memorabilia Stallholder
Dave Alexander	...	Large Man 1
Anthony Flanagan	...	Large Man 2
Neil Edmond	...	Mills
Dee Fyfe	...	Girl in Photo
Kananu Kirimi	...	Carrie
Liam Reilly	...	Gareth Cawood
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeanie Gold	...	Market Stall Holder (uncredited)

Directed by
Marc Evans

Writing credits
Richard Smith		(written by)

Produced by
Nicky Kentish Barnes	....	producer
Bernard Bellew	....	line producer
David Birmingham	....	executive producer
Jonathan Cavendish	....	producer
Steve Christian	....	executive producer
Kirk D'Amico	....	executive producer
Enfys Dickinson	....	creative producer
Lizzie Francke	....	co-producer
Jonathan Kelly	....	executive producer
James Mitchell	....	executive producer
Marion Pilowsky	....	executive producer
Sue Bruce Smith	....	executive producer
Donald A. Starr	....	executive producer
Daniel J.B. Taylor	....	executive producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Alex Heffes

Cinematography by
John Mathieson		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Mags Arnold

Casting by
Jina Jay

Production Design by
Crispian Sallis
Trevor Stanley

Art Direction by
Paul Ghirardani
Dominic Hyman
Lauren Parris Stills

Set Decoration by
Careen Hertzog

Costume Design by
Ffion Elinor

Makeup Department
Pamela Haddock	....	makeup designer
Astrid Kearney	....	hair designer: Lauren-Parris stills
Astrid Kearney	....	makeup artist: Lauren-Parris stills
Tony Lilley	....	hair stylist
Tony Lilley	....	makeup artist
Lauren Parris Stills	....	hair designer
Lauren Parris Stills	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Linda Sophie Chiu	....	executive in charge: Myriad Pictures
Jeanette Haley	....	post-production supervisor
Lauren Parris Stills	....	unit production manager
Bobby Prince	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charlotte Brown	....	assistant director
Chloe Chesterton	....	assistant director
Andrew McEwan	....	second assistant director: re-shoots
Alex Oakley	....	first assistant director: reshoots
Matthew Penry-Davey	....	first assistant director
Toby Sherborne	....	assistant director

Art Department
Raymond Barrett	....	carpenter
Robert Betts	....	painter (as Lee Betts)
Sally Black	....	prop buyer
Stephen Challenor	....	supervising carpenter
Robert J. Dugdale	....	scenic artist
Jack Dyer	....	construction buyer
James Ede	....	stand-by painter
Sandra Fattorre	....	art department assistant (as Sandra Fattore)
Chris Forster	....	storyboard artist (as Christopher Forster)
Martin Freeman	....	carpenter
Mark Fruin	....	stand-by propman
Jennifer Geary	....	art department runner
Kevin Harris	....	construction manager (as Kevin Gordon Harris)
Derek Ixer	....	dressing propman
Matt Langley	....	carpenter (as Matthew Langley)
Nicholas Lloyd	....	carpenter
Stephen McGregor	....	stand-by carpenter
Kieron Mcnamara	....	stand-by propman
Dave Midson	....	chargehand dressing propman
Sophie Phillips	....	prop buyer
Brendan Power	....	supervising painter
Daggy Reynolds	....	dressing propman
Darren Reynolds	....	dressing prop
Mark Reynolds	....	storeman
Shirley Robinson	....	graphic designer
John Symons	....	carpenter
Howard Weaver	....	scenic artist
Keith Weston	....	stand-by chargehand
Jeff Woodbridge	....	carpenter
Mickey Woolfson	....	property master (as Micky Woolfson)
Tony Woollard	....	draftsman (as Anthony Woollard)

Sound Department
Nick Baldock	....	sound assistant
Peter Baldock	....	dialogue editor
Paul Botham	....	boom operator
Peter Burgis	....	foley artist
Michael A. Carter	....	adr recordist
Adam Daniel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Graham Daniel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Davies	....	sound
Paul Davies	....	supervising sound editor
Twydor Davis	....	foley editor (as Twydor Smith Davis)
Andie Derrick	....	foley artist
Simon Fraser	....	sound mixer
Peter Gleaves	....	foley recordist
Katie Harris	....	sound assistant

Special Effects by
Yves De Bono	....	special effects director
Jaroslav Kolenic	....	special effects technician
Brano Nasea	....	special effects technician
Mark Williams	....	special effects technician
Andy Wilson	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tim Baxter	....	film recording manager
Rus Wetherell	....	digital effects artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Dan Bell	....	stunts
Kelly Dent	....	stunts
Rowley Irlam	....	stunt double
Gary Powell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Ciro Candia	....	second assistant camera
Vernon Connolly	....	electrician
Andy Curling	....	electrician
Dominic Gaughan	....	clapper loader: second unit
Max Glickman	....	additional second assistant camera
Angus Hudson	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Angus Hudson	....	director of photography: second unit
Surjit Singh Hullait	....	stand-by rigger
Malcolm Huse	....	key grip
Chris Knoll	....	electrician
Liam McGill	....	rigging gaffer
Keith McNamara	....	first assistant camera
Ross McNamara	....	camera trainee
Brian Miller	....	electrician
James Needham	....	focus puller: second unit
Sam Osborne	....	first assistant camera: dailies
Sarah Rollason	....	focus puller: second unit
Nic Sadler	....	director of photography: additional photography
James Saligari	....	camera operator: video
Richard Seal	....	electrician
Garth Sewell	....	second camera grip
Laurie Shane	....	gaffer
Ron Shane	....	best boy
James Smith	....	clapper loader: second unit
Mario Spanna	....	camera operator: video
Mario Spanna	....	video playback operator
Laurie Sparham	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	voice casting
Dixie Chassay	....	casting assistant
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting
Brendan Donnison	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elena D'Cruze-Reynolds	....	costume trainee
Richard Davies	....	costume assistant: second unit
Shirley Nevin	....	costume supervisor
Leigh Nicol	....	costume stand-by

Editorial Department
Lucie Graves	....	post-production coordinator
Alexandra Montgomery	....	post-production coordinator
Gabrielle Smith	....	assistant editor
John Stanborough	....	colorist
Jason Wheeler	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Hugo Adams	....	music editor
Reece Gilmore	....	music arranger
David Juritz	....	orchestra leader
Ian MacPherson	....	orchestrator
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music producer (as Steve McLaughlin)
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music supervisor (as Steve McLaughlin)
Stephen McLaughlin	....	score recordist (as Steve McLaughlin)
Graham Sutton	....	music editor
Jeff Toyne	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Allan Bradshaw	....	transportation captain
Alan Rogers	....	minivan driver
Karen Russell	....	driver: minibus

Other crew
Mark Amey	....	animal handler: spiders
Johnny Bamford	....	location finder
Leah Black	....	location runner
Jake Bogert	....	assistant production coordinator
David Broder	....	location manager
Richard Brownsdon	....	stand-by runner
Keith Bryant	....	laboratory contact
Neil Chordia	....	assistant to producer
Matt Curtis	....	title designer: main titles
Matt Dalton	....	first assistant accountant
Peter Darling	....	choreographer
Wayne Docksey	....	animal consultant
Anna Downing	....	accounting assistant
Tom Forbes	....	production assistant
Ian Ford	....	location assistant
Simon Fraser	....	production coordinator
Simone Goodridge	....	production coordinator
Robin Green	....	assistant production accountant
Sarah Hayward	....	script supervisor
Neil Hodge	....	chef
Jen Lambert	....	nurse (as Jennifer Lambert)
Kate D. Lewis	....	floor runner: second unit
Susy Liddell	....	production executive
Dixie Linder	....	production executive
Stacy Mann	....	publicist
Julie Marabelle	....	computer operator
Rick Matthews	....	production facilitator
Sophia Ollins	....	floor runner: second unit (as Sofia Olins)
Joe Oppenheimer	....	development executive
Lynne Page	....	associate choreographer
Adrian Spanna	....	computer and video coordinator
Maxine Stanley	....	post-production accountant
Trevor Stanley	....	production accountant
Andrew Stephenson	....	animal handler: ants
Camilla Stephenson	....	assistant location manager
Lesley Stewart	....	head of production
Chantelle Stoffel	....	floor runner
Erica Taylor	....	floor runner
Paul 'Welcie' Wellstead	....	supervising rigger
Tora Young	....	assistant: Jonathan Cavendish

Thanks
Clare Barker	....	special thanks
Robert Gibb	....	special thanks
Nicole Glucksman	....	special thanks
Sophie Harley	....	special thanks
Chuck James	....	special thanks
Colin Leventhal	....	special thanks
Jeremy Payne	....	special thanks
Emma Plimmer	....	special thanks
Amy Raphael	....	special thanks
David M. Thompson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Little Bird Productions
• BBC Films
• Grosvenor Park Productions
• Isle of Man Film
• Little Bird

Distributors

• Warner Bros
• Filmax S.A. (2005) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2012) (Spain) (DVD)
• Emerald (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• La Fabrique de Films (2005) (France) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  score recorded at
• Burberry  special thanks
• Capital FX  optical effects
• DKNY  special thanks
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  foley recorded at (as De Lane Lea)
• Dexia Banque Internationale a Luxembourg  production financing provided by
• Edit Hire  cutting rooms
• Film Council Development Fund  made with the support of
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Film London  special thanks
• Global Music Service  music copyist
• Horniman Museum  special thanks
• Jason Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Marylebone Sea Cadets  special thanks
• McDonald and Rutter  publicity (as McDonald Rutter)
• Moschino  special thanks
• Panavision UK  camera equipment provided by
• People of Lower Marsh, The  special thanks
• Pepper Post Production  preview conform and grade
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sayell Foods  special thanks
• Shepperton Film Studios  sound re-recorded at

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violent images

Runtime:

Japan:93 min (DVD version) | USA:88 min (Sundance Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Argentina:18 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Sweden:15 (video rating) | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Canary Wharf, Isle of Dogs, London, England, UK

Company:

Little Bird Productions

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: In one of the late scenes in the morgue/basement when Ben is talking to Charlotte the boom mic is clearly visible in the top right of the picture

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Death Row (2007) (V)

Strong story, script and performances. Superb casting, visuals, cinematography, and lighting. Very reflective of Asian psychological horror.

Within the first ten minutes something struck me about Trauma, it's not your average thriller\horror, well not in Hollywood anyway. There's something different about it, you can see it in the cinematography, the directing and the writing, it's more Asian than it is Hollywood and you'd be forgiven for thinking it came from the latest run of Asian Directors making Hollywood films, but that's not the case.It's actually directed by Marc Evans who also directed My Little Eye, and he does it superbly.

The movie started off on a very strong foot with an excellent, and by all accounts well researched, script, and the rest of the team have just kept the quality up throughout. The visuals are very well crafted with some exciting camera techniques and are used as an active part of the storytelling with scenes relying on nothing but the visuals to explain, or confuse, the audience. Common themes and links are made throughout the story, with small clues, references and circular journeys.

There's a very urban and modern feel to the movie, and the strong cinematography and lighting provide a natural, real feel to the world around the main character Ben who is played amazingly by the misused Colin Firth. His performance is unnerving, confusing and totally believable. You are drawn in to this character as he begins to try and piece his life together with you beside him at every step. Firth is almost in every scene and commands the screen without overpowering it. His co-star Mena Suvari does a good job standing with him, offering support and her belief in him without question, she also comes across as a natural but naive character. Again, very believable.

It's some of the little touches in the movie, the misdirection and the often confusing messages from other characters and the visuals themselves that make this movie so intriguing. All the time you are pulled into Ben's mind and are made to discover things as he does and see them through his eyes, true or not, you see things as he does.

Overall I really did like this movie. Everything about it from the sets to the camera techniques reminded me of a good Asian horror movie, something Hollywood has found it really hard to reproduce. It manages to unnerve and confuse throughout, and although some things may not be so surprising, others are. Yet you never truly know the answers, and I love it for that. The movie made me think, and keep thinking.

The DVD provides little in the way of extras, although I was most surprised to see an audio description track. This is where someone describes what is happening in the movie for those who are visually impaired. It's an awful, monotonous track and I would have thought more care would have been put in trying to find someone who could give depth and tone to these descriptions, matching them with the mood of the scene. However I didn't really need to watch it.

There is an featurette that covers a lot of the movie without giving too much away, and it provides some valuable insight with a lot of discussion from Firth himself. He says something that really sums up what this movie, and Asian cinema, is all about. The art of not showing something.

I love a ghost story as long as you don't see too much of the Ghost, and the films really scare me are the ones that don't give the game away. I tend to think that as soon as a Monster comes round the corner I go 'Oh, thank God it's only a Monster, I had something much worse in mind'. As soon as a Ghost is chasing you down the corridor you're into Scooby Doo really.

I won't miss out the audio commentary. It features the Director talking about the story and a few of the sets and themes throughout the movie, but he mainly concentrates on the story itself and filling around it, pointing out connections and themes as he goes. It does provide a lot more to the story and is an interesting watch to see the film a second time round. Actually I might like to give it a month or so and watch the movie again with all this knowledge, just to see how it feels a third time, knowing. Evans gives the nod to a lot of references to other movies which so clearly influenced this movie, for instance Honogurai mizu no soko kara (Dark Water) and Don't Look Now.

I'd totally recommend the movie, and not just because Richard Smith is Scottish, but because it's a really strong story, script and performances. The casting is superb, visuals, cinematography, techniques and lighting are all done with a slight quirkiness. It's very reflective of a good Asian psychological horror, and stands out well from the Hollywood pile.