Passion Play (film)

Last updated
Passion Play
Passion play poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mitch Glazer
Written byMitch Glazer
Produced by Daniel Dubiecki
Megan Ellison
Starring Mickey Rourke
Megan Fox
Rhys Ifans
Bill Murray
Kelly Lynch
Cinematography Christopher Doyle
Edited by Billy Weber
Music by Dickon Hinchliffe
Production
company
Distributed by Image Entertainment [1]
Release date
  • September 10, 2010 (2010-09-10)(Toronto)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million
Box office$3,669

Passion Play is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by Mitch Glazer, executive produced by Rebecca Wang and starring Mickey Rourke, Megan Fox, Rhys Ifans and Bill Murray. Filming for the production began in December 2009 and is presented by Rebecca Wang Entertainment. [2] [3] It premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

Contents

Plot

Nate (Mickey Rourke), a small-time jazz musician and recovering heroin addict, is clearly a hard-luck case. After a performance one night, he is mugged and bound. He awakens to find himself in a vehicle and being driven out into the desert, but he is helpless to do anything about it. His assailant then walks Nate away from the car and is about to kill him, but instead the assailant is shot dead by a band of Native Americans, and Nate is left unharmed. Nate wanders around in the desert and climbs a mountain, where he looks down upon a carnival and sideshow. He walks through the carnival, and asks the owner to use a telephone, and he wanders among the fire eaters, sword swallowers, and other performers. Nate finds himself drawn to the exotic beauty of Lily (Megan Fox), a freak performer who has wings on her back. Lily is cold and dismissive, but it dawns on her that this gentle giant may well be her ticket to a better life. The sideshow owner (Rhys Ifans) attempts to kill Nate, but Lily rescues him by stealing a truck, and together they flee to the city.

Nate and Lily begin to form a relationship. Nate, fearing another assassination attempt, seeks out Happy Shannon (Bill Murray), a gangster with deep pockets who had ordered Nate killed after Nate had slept with his wife, whom Happy also had murdered. Nate plans to put Lily on display for paying customers, and he offers Happy 75 percent of the proceeds. Happy dismisses the proposal and does not believe Lily has wings, but he later sees for himself, when Nate arranges an appearance of Lily for him, but at a safe distance.

Nate and Lily go to a motel, talk, and then have sex. Happy finds them and then abducts Lily, but to keep Lily compliant, he agrees not to harm Nate so long as Lily lives with him. Nate tries to stay away from Lily, but he realizes he is in love with her. When Nate attempts to see Lily and rescue her from Happy, he fails. By now, the sideshow owner has also learned that Lily is with Happy, and he breaks in and attempts to take her. Happy pulls out a pistol and shoots him to death.

Later, Nate discovers that Happy is showcasing Lily in a theater, and again Nate goes to rescue her. He smashes the glass case in which Lily is being confined, and together they run to the top of the building, chased by Happy's men. Nate tries to convince Lily to fly away, but Lily lacks confidence in her ability to fly. Nate then jumps off the building, and Lily jumps after him, discovering that she can indeed fly. She catches Nate before he hits the ground, and together they fly off into the desert.

Nate looks down on the ground below as they are flying and sees his own corpse at the spot in the desert where the Native Americans had shot his assailant, suggesting that everything that happened from that point forward was actually a dying dream. He is last seen being carried away by Lily into the sky.

Cast

Reception

Passion Play received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 3%, based on 33 reviews, with an average rating of 3.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Passion Play has a terrific cast, but don't be fooled – the only real question at the heart of this misbegotten mystery is what its stars were thinking." [5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 22 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [6]

An incompletely edited cut of the film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. [7]

Festival reviews included Variety describing it as "Perversely eccentric and frequently inert." [8] In a video review, David Poland extended his condolences to Glazer for his 20-year dedication in realizing the project, but described the experience as "an absolute car wreck." [9] eFilmCritic's Erik Childress left the screening after an hour and declared it "Awful." [10] Karina Longworth from Village Voice asserted that "It's hard to imagine that anyone will take Passion Play nearly as seriously as it takes itself." [11]

Release

Despite initial reports that the film was going straight to DVD due to the negative critical reaction at the Toronto International Film Festival, Image Entertainment announced Passion Play would be given a limited theatrical run, starting on May 6, 2011 in New York City and Los Angeles. [12]

Glazer confirmed the new release had a final cut vastly improved by a "generation" from the very rough cut screened in Toronto. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Rourke</span> American actor and former boxer

Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. is an American actor and former professional boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhys Ifans</span> Welsh actor (born 1967)

Rhys Owain Evans, better known as Rhys Ifans, is a Welsh actor. He is best known for his roles in Notting Hill (1999), Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000), and Enduring Love (2004) as well as his portrayals of Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010), the supervillain Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Grigori Rasputin in The King's Man (2021). Other roles include Hector DeJean in the Epix thriller series Berlin Station, Mycroft Holmes in the CBS series Elementary, and Ser Otto Hightower in the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon.

<i>Whats Up, Tiger Lily?</i> 1966 film by Woody Allen, Senkichi Taniguchi

What's Up, Tiger Lily? is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Woody Allen in his feature-length directorial debut.

<i>Year of the Dragon</i> (film) 1985 film by Michael Cimino

Year of the Dragon is a 1985 American neo-noir crime thriller film co-written and directed by Michael Cimino, and starring Mickey Rourke, John Lone, and Ariane Koizumi. The film follows a tough New York City police captain (Rourke) battling a ruthless Chinese-American Triad boss (Lone). The screenplay, written by Cimino and Oliver Stone, is based on a 1981 novel of the same title by Robert Daley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Fox</span> American actress (born 1986)

Megan Denise Fox is an American actress. She made her acting debut in the family film Holiday in the Sun (2001), which was followed by numerous supporting roles in film and television, such as the teen musical comedy Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), as well as a starring role in the ABC sitcom Hope & Faith (2004–2006). Her breakout role was as Mikaela Banes in the blockbuster action film Transformers (2007), which she reprised in its sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Lynch</span> American actress (born 1959)

Kelly Ann Lynch is an American actress. Her film credits include Cocktail, Road House, Drugstore Cowboy, Desperate Hours, Curly Sue, Heaven's Prisoners, Mr. Magoo, Charlie's Angels and Joe Somebody. She also played recurring roles on the cable shows The L Word and Magic City.

<i>Wild Orchid</i> (film) 1989 film by Zalman King

Wild Orchid is a 1989 American erotic film directed by Zalman King and starring Mickey Rourke, Carré Otis, Jacqueline Bisset, Bruce Greenwood, and Assumpta Serna.

<i>White Sands</i> (film) 1992 American film by Roger Donaldson

White Sands is a 1992 American crime thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson and starring Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mickey Rourke. Written by Daniel Pyne for Warner Bros., the film is about a U.S. southwestern small-town sheriff who finds a body in the desert with a suitcase and $500,000. He impersonates the man and stumbles into an FBI investigation.

<i>Johnny Handsome</i> 1989 film by Walter Hill

Johnny Handsome is a 1989 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Walter Hill and starring Mickey Rourke, Ellen Barkin, Forest Whitaker and Morgan Freeman. The film was written by Ken Friedman, and adapted from the novel The Three Worlds of Johnny Handsome by John Godey. The music for the film was written, produced and performed by Ry Cooder, with four songs by Jim Keltner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Savides</span> American cinematographer

Harris Savides was an American cinematographer. Nominated for a BAFTA Award and five Independent Spirit Award, he is most known for his collaborations with director Gus Van Sant including Finding Forrester (2000), Gerry (2002), Elephant (2003), Last Days (2005), Milk (2008), and Restless (2011).

<i>A Prayer for the Dying</i> 1987 film by Mike Hodges

A Prayer for the Dying is a 1987 thriller film about a former IRA member trying to escape his past. The film was directed by Mike Hodges, and stars Mickey Rourke, Liam Neeson, Bob Hoskins, and Alan Bates. The film is based on the 1973 Jack Higgins novel of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitch Glazer</span> American writer, producer, and actor

Mitchell Aram Glazer is an American writer, producer, and actor.

<i>The Informers</i> (2008 film) 2008 American film

The Informers is a 2009 American drama film written by Bret Easton Ellis and Nicholas Jarecki and directed by Gregor Jordan. The film is based on Ellis's 1994 collection of short stories of the same name. The film, which is set amidst the decadence of the early 1980s, depicts an assortment of socially alienated, mainly well-off characters who numb their sense of emptiness with casual sex, alcohol, and drugs. Filming took place in Los Angeles, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires in 2007.

<i>The Wrestler</i> (2008 film) 2008 film by Darren Aronofsky

The Wrestler is a 2008 American sports drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and written by Robert Siegel. The film stars Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood. Rourke plays an aging professional wrestler who, despite his failing health and waning fame, continues to wrestle in an attempt to cling to the success of his 1980s heyday. He also tries to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter and to find romance with a woman who works as a stripper.

<i>Picture Claire</i> 2001 film by Bruce McDonald

Picture Claire is a 2001 thriller film directed by Bruce McDonald of a screenplay by Semi Chellas. The film stars Juliette Lewis, Gina Gershon, Callum Keith Rennie, Kelly Harms, Camilla Rutherford, Peter Stebbings, and Mickey Rourke. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and also appeared at Cinéfest in Sudbury, where the film received Best Ontario Feature Award.

<i>Magic City</i> (TV series) American drama television series

Magic City is an American drama television series created by Mitch Glazer for the Starz network. The pilot episode previewed on Starz March 30, 2012, and premiered April 6, 2012. Starz renewed the series for an eight-episode second season on March 20, 2012, and canceled it August 5, 2013, after two seasons.

<i>Citizen Gangster</i> 2013 Canadian film by Nathan Morlando

Citizen Gangster is a 2011 Canadian biographical drama film directed and written by Nathan Morlando. Scott Speedman stars as Canadian gangster and alleged murderer Edwin Alonzo Boyd.

<i>Madame Bovary</i> (2014 film) 2014 film

Madame Bovary is a 2014 historical romantic drama film directed by Sophie Barthes, based on the 1856 novel of the same name by French author Gustave Flaubert. The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Rhys Ifans, Ezra Miller, Logan Marshall-Green, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Laura Carmichael, Olivier Gourmet, and Paul Giamatti.

<i>Misbehaviour</i> (film) 2020 British film by Philippa Lowthorpe

Misbehaviour is a 2020 British comedy-drama film directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, from a screenplay by Gaby Chiappe and Rebecca Frayn, from a story by Frayn. The film stars Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley, Keeley Hawes, Phyllis Logan, Lesley Manville, Rhys Ifans and Greg Kinnear.

<i>The Phantom of the Open</i> 2021 film

The Phantom of the Open is a 2021 British biographical comedy-drama film directed by Craig Roberts, about the exploits of Maurice Flitcroft. The screenplay by Simon Farnaby was based upon the biography The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft, The World's Worst Golfer by Farnaby and Scott Murray. The film stars Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Rhys Ifans, Jake Davies, Christian and Jonah Lees, Mark Lewis Jones and Johann Myers.

References

  1. ↑ "The Hollywood Reporter".
  2. ↑ "Bio". Rebeccawangentertainment.com. Retrieved 2019-10-09.
  3. ↑ "Passion Play Is Filming!" Retrieved December 29, 2009
  4. ↑ "Full Cast and Crew" at IMDB.com Retrieved December 29, 2009
  5. ↑ "Passion Play (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes .
  6. ↑ "Passion Play". Metacritic .
  7. ↑ "Q&A: Mitch Glazer on Megan Fox, Mickey Rourke, and His New Miami Gangster Series". Vanity Fair.
  8. ↑ Anderson, John (September 15, 2010). "Variety Reviews - Passion Play - Film Reviews" . Retrieved September 15, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Up On Review - Passion Play" . Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  10. ↑ "@EriktheMovieman via MOTOBLUR" . Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Megan Fox vs. Natalie Portman in the Battle of the Bird Girl Movies - Toronto Day 2". Archived from the original on September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  12. ↑ Megan Fox's 'Passion Play' Struggles For Theater Play. Huffington Post. 2011-03-11.
  13. ↑ Q&A: Mitch Glazer on Megan Fox, Mickey Rourke, and His New Miami Gangster Series Vanity Fair. 2011-05-06.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.