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Spider
2002
Based on the novel by Patrick McGrath, David Cronenberg's psychological drama follows Dennis "Spider" Cleg (Ralph Fiennes), a mentally disturbed man who has just been released from an asylum. Upon taking up residence in a seedy London apartment building, the already introverted Spider begins to retreat further into his own .. Read more
| Starring | Patrick McGrath, Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne |
|---|---|
| Director | David Cronenberg |
| Genres | Drama |
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Spider
Based on the novel by Patrick McGrath, David Cronenberg's psychological drama follows Dennis "Spider" Cleg (Ralph Fiennes), a mentally disturbed man who has just been released from an asylum. Upon taking up residence in a seedy London apartment building, the already introverted Spider begins to retreat further into his own thoughts, shutting out the caretaker, Mrs. Wilkinson (Lynn Redgrave), and other eccentric tenants such as the wistful Terrence (John Neville). Within the confines of his mind, the anxious Spider revisits his childhood and literally watches his younger self (Bradley Hall) as he interacts with his doting mother (Miranda Richardson) and distant father (Gabriel Byrne). As his visions of the past continue, tragedy strikes and the dark history of Spider's life is slowly revealed.
A surprisingly subtle outing for Cronenberg, SPIDER carefully avoids the director's grotesque "body horror" aesthetic, common to films such as VIDEODROME and THE FLY. By leaving his signature bag of tricks behind, Cronenberg frees himself to tell one of the most compelling stories of his career. The film is anchored by Fiennes' impressive performance as the mumbling, reclusive, and strangely sympathetic title character. In the hands of a less experienced and dynamic actor, Spider's awkward presence could border on caricature, but Fiennes imbues the self-isolated man with dignity and depth. Aiding Fiennes and Cronenberg in this minimalist masterpiece are McGrath (who has carefully pared down his hallucinatory prose), composer Howard Shore, and cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, along with actors Byrne, Hall, Redgrave, Neville, and, most notably, Richardson in a remarkable triple role.
| Starring | Patrick McGrath, Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave, John Neville |
|---|---|
| Director | David Cronenberg |
| Studio | LIONS GATE HOME ENT. UK LTD |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 35 mins LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 38 mins |
| Certificate |  DVD LOVEFiLM Instant |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English LOVEFiLM Instant: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 2002 To Watch Online: LOVEFiLM Instant: 28 Sep 2009 To Rent: DVD: 14 Jul 2003 |
| Watch now | £2.49 |
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Critic's review
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Fiennes gives a compelling performance as a shambling man lost in a trauma of sex and violence, but nothing outside his skewed vision is shown so that the result becomes as confused as his mind.
- 32511
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- Halliwell's Film Guide
- 02 Mar 2006 at 15:42
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Most helpful member's review
View all members' reviews (52) -
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- 21
- 2
slow and confusing but that's the point
This movie shows just what fine actors Ralph Fiennes and Miranda Richardson are. Fiennes is the slow and bumbling ex mental patient trying to understand his ... read more »
- 4948
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[Highly rated reviewer]
- a customer
- Lancaster, Lancs
- 22 Apr 2004 at 19:14
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Most recent members' reviews
View all members' reviews (52) -
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- 0
- 0
Disturbing, touching, gentle, one of Cronenburg's best
Great story about madness, sadness, mystery, with one of the best acting performances of all time of the mumbling, incoherent mad central character. Brilliant.
- 1090257
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- bobshaw5
- 10 reviews
- 08 Feb 2012 at 21:15
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- 0
- 2
Not terribly gripping or interesting.
Seriously, this is poorly acted. Fiennes cannot act out an insane person. All his characters feel slightly awkward, and 'not quite' up to scratch. Would... read more »
- 1060195
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- Onlyests
- 47 reviews
- 08 Nov 2011 at 18:37
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- 0
- 0
Gabriel Byrne's performance deserves more acclaim!
Great acting from Fiennes and Richardson, but especially from Byrne who had to play a character seen from two perspectives simultaneously. His performance ... read more »
- 1032806
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- Poorly
- 3 reviews
- 23 Aug 2011 at 20:36
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News and features
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- 09 Feb 2010
“I thought I was managing my expectations, but on hearing the news I discovered new and unfamiliar vocal tones. Perhaps I should do another musical.” - Colin Firth, on his Oscar nomination for Best Actor for A Single Man. Colin is the sort of name you give to your goldfish as a joke. I didn’t say that, Colin Firth did. I’ve come across some fine Colins over the years – The Damned United reminds us what a fine footballer Colin Todd was – but yeah, we know... Read more
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Spider
Based on the novel by Patrick McGrath, David Cronenberg's psychological drama follows Dennis "Spider" Cleg (Ralph Fiennes), a mentally disturbed man who has just been released from an asylum. Upon taking up residence in a seedy London apartment building, the already introverted Spider begins to ...
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