Angelica (2015)

A couple living in Victorian London endure an unusual series of psychological and supernatural happenings following the birth of their child.

Director:

Mitchell Lichtenstein

Writers:

Mitchell Lichtenstein (screenplay), Arthur Phillips (novel)

Stars:

Jena Malone, Janet McTeer, Ed Stoppard

Cast

Credited cast:
Jena Malone	...	Constance
Janet McTeer	...	Anne Montague
Ed Stoppard	...	Dr. Joseph Barton
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Nora
Glynnis O'Connor	...	Older Constance
Charles Keating	...	Dr. Miles
Henry Stram	...	Dr. Willette
Daniel Gerroll	...	Dr. Pinfield-Smith
James Norton	...	Harry
Stephanie Inorio	...	Wet Nurse
Pela Kolodziej	...	2 Year Old Angelica
Connor Inorio	...	Infant Angelica
Vincent Sanchez	...	First Sitter for Spirit Photograph
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marc Alan Austen	...	Unnamed Scientist
Richard Stephen Bell	...	Unnamed Scientist

Storyline

In Victorian England, sexual repression opens a rift between young couple Constance and Joseph after the birth of their daughter Angelica. As Constance becomes more and more protective of little Angelica, a ghostly predator begins to make its way through the house late at night... ANGELICA is a spellbinding ghost story about desire, repression and its consequences... The new film by Mitchell Lichtenstein, director of HAPPY TEARS and the cult favorite TEETH.

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Plot Keywords:

husband wife relationship | spiritualism | reference to sigmund freud | maid | little girl | 

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Taglines:

With pleasure... comes pain.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

17 November 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

Αντζέλικα

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pierpoline Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The U.S. location for Angelica was an old "Gold Coast" mansion called Alder Manor in Yonkers, N.Y. The house has a "ghost" of it's own that set the hairs bristling on the backs of the necks of both cast and crew. In the upstairs hallway, there is a permanent footprint that has not gone away even after floor sanding. The very grains of the wood are aligned to preserve what appears to be the small and high arched print of a young woman's right foot. Whose is it? Who knows? It was there then and is still there, and it may go back all the way to the era of W. B. Thompson, the copper magnate who built Alder Manor.

User Reviews

Lacking Balance

It is unfortunate that Angelica lacks the bite of Lichtenstein's previous film, Teeth - excuse the terrible pun. Despite exploring the similar theme of women empowerment through sexual control, the humor misses its mark, leaving the shell of irony in its place. The fitting Victorian background to this tale, well captured throughout, does not suffice to make the film worth recommending.

The story tells us of a mother's confession, Constance, who while lying on her deathbed admits to harbouring a dark secret from her daughter, Angelica. We go back to Angelica's conception as the fruit of a healthy, passionate marriage between Mr. and Mrs. Barton, which sadly leaves the to-be mother in a state that does not allow her to go through another childbirth. With contraception methods poorly at hand, that leaves abstinence as the sole means of ensuring Constance's good health. This results in a gaping void between the pair, where passion is replaced by restrained desire and mutual frustration. Moreover, as she faces her guilt of both being immoral in her pursuits and incapable of pleasing herself and her husband, a dark presence appears that plagues her nights, as she looks to protect her daughter.

Unfortunately, the obstacles in turning the source novel into a novel film offering fails on most counts. First and foremost, in finding the thin line between clever irreverence and irrelevance, guarding the experience of the film as either something frightening, or something comical. Perhaps Drag Me to Hell highlights what this looks like when done successfully - and even in such a case, opinions are divided. Secondly, Jenna Malone labours to offer a conflicted performance as a British 19th century wife, but her efforts are consistently undermined as she appears around characters ridiculous in features or in speech. Finally, it's hard to feel for the fate of Constance and Angelica, as they fail to be more than the sum of this movie's parts - mundane and full of painful restraint.

Lichtenstein is not able to find a balance in this story, mixing modern morality into his somber settings, thereby loosening the movie's grip of its characters. The rare moments of authentic playfulness or artfulness are drowned in an otherwise typical period piece, that looks fine - and that's about it.