Other World

Author(s): Pat
Location: NY

"Other World"

Written and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Produced by Kathleen Kennedy
Music by James Newton Howard

Main Cast

Joaquin Phoenix (Garrett Martin)
Mena Suvari (Olivia Herschweil)
Ron Rifkin (The Man in the White Room)
Philip Seymour Hoffman (Edgar Creighton)
Freddy Rodriguez (Jose Toledo)
Sigourney Weaver (Wendy Herschweil)
Dennis Haysbert (Ned Barker)

Tagline: "In the world of life after death, saving the one’s you love is the only way to redemption"

Synopsis: M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller “Other World”, the life of man who ruined the lives of everyone around him is re-examined for a chance at redemption. Garrett Martin (Joaquin Phoenix) is a Philadelphia lawyer who just won a case convicting a probably innocent Mexican immigrant (Freddy Rodriguez) of killing a shopowner. As a celebration, his boss (Dennis Haysbert) awards Garrett with a paid vacation to Florida with his girlfriend, Olivia (Mena Suvari). On the return trip during a heated argument with Olivia over his infidelity, Garrett dies in a horrible car accident, but the story doesn’t end there. Garrett wakes up in a white room where he meets a man (Ron Rifkin) who claims that Garrett is in Purgatory and his only chance for salvation after death is to return to the world and change everything evil about his life. But the catch is Garrett will be sent to a different dimension, where lives took different paths, creating a mission designed to make Garrett take blame for the problems in his life. He comes across several individuals from his past life that had changed drastically, like Olivia, who became a prostitute after Garrett abandoned her. Or his ethically challenged best friend Edgar (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who is in control of the law firm and took over the Mexican immigrant’s case with hopes of getting the death penalty. Or Olivia’s mother (Sigourney Weaver), who blames Garrett for her daughter’s chosen path. Or Jose, who seeks justice for the crime he did not commit. Garrett must save the lives of those he ruined so he will live in happiness after his job is done. “Other World” is a tale of forgiveness and redemption that must not be missed.

What the Press would say:

The acclaimed director of box-office hits like “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs” brings to the screen a dramatic new film about a man who gets another chance at making his life meaningful for the people around him. Joaquin Phoenix shines in the movie’s first act as he learns of his death but he blows your mind in the end when he comes to terms with his destiny. His tragic character provides excellent material for one of the greatest actors of our generation. Mena Suvari returns to “American Beauty” form as Phoenix’s lover who becomes a prostitute in the other dimension after he left her for another woman. Her depression flows across the screen in every scene she is and as does Sigourney Weaver’s, who plays her downtrodden mother that blames Phoenix’s character for everything bad in her life. Ron Rifkin from TV’s “Alias” and “Brothers & Sisters” devilishly plays the man leading Phoenix along in his quest for redemption. His deliverance of all-knowingness sends a shiver down the spine. But the best performance in the film comes from Freddy Rodriguez, who plays a wrongfully accused man that Phoenix put on death row. His tragic fall and then rise to hope cause the audience to cry and cheer for the man who became the worst victim in Phoenix’s character’s ploy for power. “Other World” is full of twists and turns and moralistic revelations that provide a shocking thrill for the audience, but ultimately alter one’s emotional state.

FYC

Best Picture
Best Director-M. Night Shyamalan
Best Original Screenplay
Best Actor-Joaquin Phoenix
Best Supporting Actor-Ron Rifkin
Best Supporting Actor-Freddy Rodriguez
Best Supporting Actress-Mena Suvari
Best Supporting Actress-Sigourney Weaver
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Original Score