Planet Ibsen (2005) Poster

(2005)

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10/10
Moody, magical, and very honest.
westwind3246 March 2006
Apparently, women have been leaving their husbands for as long as there has been marriage. Unfortunately, no one told August Strindburg.

This is an excellent picture about the true story of the ego of August Strindburg, infamous playwright and typical chauvinist male. The film is told from the perspective of Strindburg's equally famous arch-rival, Henrik Ibsen- a very interesting choice of narration, because the movie itself is about a frustrated man who seems to desire attention in full. Funny? No. Fitting? Yes.

This film will make you torn between your feelings. It explains everyone's "side", so it's hard to formulate an opinion. I love that! It was nice to see a movie about how far a man will go to create his own world, and his own rules. You almost have to identify with Strindberg after watching. Not that he's everyman, but the film explains what happens when his wife gets a hold of a copy of Ibsens play "A Dolls House", and evolves in a way Strindberg is not pleased with. The rest of the film is an explanation of his resulting behavior.

This film was done in an extremely interesting and artistic way. The director of this film had just the right amount of vision to communicate this twisting and flowing drama into an entourage of different personalities that co-exist in the same room, but not necessarily in the same time.

It's not at all complicated to follow, which is good because of the subject of the film. The director kept it unbroken and timely, and the actors were so helpful in explaining what was going on with delivery and non-verbal communication (especially Steve Dumouchel) that you wont find yourself getting lost in the coolness. Gabriel Damon is so fun to watch as an overbearing husband, and Clint Howard's detail showed that he truly enjoyed himself. I'm recommending this film to people who like movies, not just the subject matter. There's not one cuss word and absolutely no nudity, just a good story done well.
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10/10
A flawless piece of cinematic work that moves at a welcomed pace.
aleedsboy10 December 2007
"Planet Ibsen" is an exceptionally well-conceived, impeccably written and brilliantly directed piece of cinematic excellence.

On the surface, "Planet Ibsen" chronicles the rivalry between playwrights (Henrik) Ibsen and (August) Strindberg. As a whole, "Planet Ibsen" is about choices, impact and love.

There are many things to appreciate (and learn from) about this film; from the directing, to the cinematography, to the writing, to the producing.

Writer-director-producer Jonathan Wyche's direction and keen eye for dialogue reminds me of John Sayles' masterpiece "Lonestar." "Planet Ibsen" is incredibly smart and sharply-written with just the proper amount of precision required without being superfluous.

Mr. Wyche has also produced a stellar cast that fits picture perfect into the story. "Characters" would be an insult because I did not witness any. What I did witness was a birds-eye view of everyday people and how they coped with the travels and travails of life.

Like a fine piece of Egyptian fabric, Mr. Wyche has carefully interwoven the story lines at a steady pace that kept me extremely interested - so much so that when it was over, I wanted more.

Any student of writing, directing or producing will appreciate this film and, like myself, will use it as a guideline and blueprint for what future directors (and writers) should (and need) to aspire to.
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