Plot
Multiple lives intersect in the aftermath of the violent mugging of a Columbia University philosophy professor.
Release Year: 2015
Rating: 6.3/10 (164 voted)
Critic's Score: 57/100
Director: Tim Blake Nelson
Stars: Sam Waterston, Kristen Stewart, Corey Stoll
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.
Cast: David Aaron Baker -
Devlin
Derrick Baskin -
Medical Examiner
Jacqueline Baum -
Allie
Ana Marie Calise -
Student
(as Ana Marie Proulx)
J. Bernard Calloway -
Cedar Lemons
Katie Chang -
Amy
Erica Cho -
Teacher
Glenn Close -
Marcia Zarrow
Scott Cohen -
Dr. Laffer
Philip Ettinger -
Roger
K. Todd Freeman -
Joe
Ivan Goris -
Ignacio
Natasha Gregson Wagner -
Marta
Jessica Hecht -
Jill
Korey Jackson -
Actor
Taglines:
Who we don't know can save us
Country: USA
Language: English
Release Date: 8 January 2016
Filming Locations: New York City, New York, USA
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Tim Blake Nelson had wanted to make the film since the 1980's. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 8/10
I had the pleasure of seeing Anesthesia at it's world premier at the
TriBeCa film festival last night and was very impressed. Ensemble cast,
multiple narratives and an "anemic" budget makes pulling this off quite
difficult. But, they did. The stories develop well, come together when
necessary but not to a point to where it comes off as a gimmick. And
where the film could get have gotten lost in it's ambition, it still
takes time for humor and delivers a story with an arc that's quite
compelling. Tim Blake Nelson knew how far to take it, but also didn't
get too deep into the weeds or over indulgent with his impressive cast.
Honest filmmaking, deliberate performances and the best setting in the
world make Anesthesia well worth checking out. Enjoy!
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