Anesthesia (2015)

Multiple lives intersect in the aftermath of the violent mugging of a Columbia University philosophy professor.

Director:

Tim Blake Nelson

Writer:

Tim Blake Nelson

Stars:

Sam Waterston, Kristen Stewart, Corey Stoll

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Waterston	...	Walter Zarrow
Ivan Goris	...	Ignacio
Rob Morgan	...	Parnell
Corey Stoll	...	Sam
Mickey Sumner	...	Nicole
Kaipo Schwab	...	Tenant
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Adam
Kristen Stewart	...	Sophie
Philip Ettinger	...	Roger (as Phil Ettinger)
Gretchen Mol	...	Sarah
Natasha Gregson Wagner	...	Marta
Erica Cho	...	Teacher
Jacqueline Baum	...	Allie
Ekaterina Samsonov	...	Angie
Hannah Marks	...	Ella

Storyline

Philosophy professor Walter Zarrow is wounded during a mugging. In an effort to escape he rings buzzers indiscriminately, waking Sam, a middle aged father of two having an affair in the city. Sam reluctantly answers Zarrow's pleas, and Zarrow loses consciousness in his arms. Through an exploration of why these men, along with the mugger, and an addict named Joe, come together, we explore New York City. The experience of Zarrow, Sam, Joe and Zarrow's assailant ripple quickly out to include the connected lives of a housewife struggling with alcoholism, a stoner teen desperate to lose his virginity, a brilliant but failed writer fighting addiction, two parents confronting the prospect of terminal illness, and a brilliant grad student who wounds herself to feel alive.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to montaigne | garden | newspaper | newspaper front page | vomiting | 

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Taglines:

Who we don't know can save us

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content, drug use and brief violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tim Blake Nelson had wanted to make the film since the 1980's.

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Quotes

Allie: Just don't drink anymore.
Sarah: It's not that easy.
Allie: Try middle school.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Kristen Stewart/Michael Shannon/Cage the Elephant (2016)

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Soundtracks

Gone the Bells
Performed by Cotton Jones
Courtesy of Suicide Squeeze Records, by arrangement with Sub Pop Licensing
Written by Michael Nau, Whitney McGraw
Published by Portable and Affordable Songs;
Administered by Secretly Canadian Publishing

User Reviews

This is New York. Great story

Wonderful movie! Randomly caught this at the 2015 TriBeCa Film festival and was not disappointed. Although there were some minor editing hiccups, this story about holds up fantastically as it documents the lives of different New Yorkers. The dialogue is clever. The acting performances were authentic. And as the plot got predictable, it made a left turn for a satisfying ending. This movie was everything Crash (2004) wanted to be but better. It's also the most honest depiction of New York life I've seen in a long while. The story gives food for thought and deserves a watch. I wish this movie well in theaters! -Kefi Maxwell. redpencritic.wordpress.com

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 January 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anesthesia

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,747, 10 January 2016

Gross USA:

$32,163

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$78,270

Company Credits

Production Co:

Grand Schema, Hello Please, Nicholson International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1