The Rhapsody (2008)

Exasperated at being stuck on a piano Rhapsody he's been writing for seven years, Sol pushes himself over the edge, having an hallucination of a mysterious young woman. Soon, Sol discovers ... See full summary »

Director:

Max Cusimano

Writer:

Max Cusimano

Stars:

Philip Adkins, Tibor Ambra, Margaux Amie

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Philip Adkins	...	Doctor Tom's son
Tibor Ambra	...	Anesthesiologist
Margaux Amie	...	Doctor Tom's Daughter
Kelli Joan Bennett	...	Surgeon
Nick Bennett	...	Sol
Lucy Doty	...	Lead Nurse
Damon Evans	...	Chasing Orderly
Rachael Graeff	...	Surgical Nurse
Amit Gupta	...	Drug Dealer
Rutger Hauer
Lorraine Kay	...	Hospital Admin. Employee
Lindsay Lane	...	Hospital Visitor
Kiosha Lee	...	RN
Leo Oliva	...	Orderly (as Leonel Oliva)
Katherine Pawlak	...	Sophia

Storyline

Exasperated at being stuck on a piano Rhapsody he's been writing for seven years, Sol pushes himself over the edge, having an hallucination of a mysterious young woman. Soon, Sol discovers that he has brain tumors, and a risky operation is his only means of survival. Initially deciding to go through with the surgery, things change when he meets Sofia, the woman from his vision. She urges Sol not to have the operation because the tumors aren't what they seem. Unable to fathom her strange appearance, he starts out to discover the nature of these events - unearthing what The Rhapsody really is.

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Plot Keywords:

hallucination | piano | brain tumor | composer | antenna | 

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Genres:

Short | Music | Mystery | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Escarpment Studios - 5610 Soto Street, Huntington Park, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

29 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ridley Scott loved this film and released an official media quote stating about the film and director Max Cusimano, "A work of sensitivity and insight. Refreshingly clever. Watch out for this guy in the future - he's the real thing."

User Reviews

Just saw this at Houston Worldfest--LOVED it

When this was over, I couldn't believe that it had been 30 minutes long. I was so engrossed in the story that it just flew by.

The story is as follows: Sol is a pianist who has been trying to finish his rhapsody for seven years, but he can't seem to figure out the ending. He's also started getting weird headaches, and has started hallucinating. His doctor tells him that he has two tumors in the frontal lobe of his brain--he's only one of 9 people in the world with this condition--and that they must operate immediately or he'll die within months. There's another patient in the same hospital with the same condition who is about to go into surgery as well. On his way out, he encounters this woman in the hallway. She's being forced against her will to have this operation, and she screams at him not to get the operation. Strange thing is... why does she recognize him, and why does she look familiar? As the story unveils itself, we start to see there is much more going on with these tumors than Sol realizes.

One of the reasons I didn't give this movie a 10 is that it reminded me a little too much of the movie Pi, which I think was a bit better. However, this film is not a copy of Pi, per se, and it does have its own style. The editing flows beautifully and the story is told in a way that kept me totally enthralled. Sol's rhapsody plays an important part in weaving the elements of the story together. I was especially moved by the climactic scene where Sol suddenly figures out what the hell is going on. That was gorgeously done.

Overall, I am excited to see more from this director--according to the website, he is working on a full-length version of this film, and if that does get made, I can't wait to see it.