Midnight

Author(s): Patrick
Location: New York

“Midnight”

Directed by: Todd Field
Written by: Eric Bogosian and David Mamet
Composed by: Thomas Newman

Principal Cast:

Clive Owen as Edward Cutrone
Kate Winslet as Lauren Cutrone
Timothy Dalton as Peter Cutrone
Ellen Page as Lindsey Muglia
Rutger Hauer as Robert Muglia
Ben Wishaw as Shawn Cutrone
Faye Dunaway as Julia Cutrone

Tagline: “A murder, a husband, a family"

Synopsis: Clive Owen plays one of the most emotionaly devastating roles of the year, in this spellbinding mystery-drama. On the day of the one-year anniversary of the death of their daughter, Edward (Owen) and Lauren (Winslet) decide to hold a family get-together at their house by the lake. What starts out as a fairly nice reunion, turns into a horrifying night, where people change, and lives end.

During a conversation between Edward and his father, Peter (Dalton), Edward hears the sound of a gunshot. He runs into the room, and finds his brother, Ben (Wishaw) looking down at a dead body. Lauren has commited suicide.

It doesn't take long before Edward begins to accuse members of his and Lauren's family of murder. In flashbacks, Edward reflects on his good times with Lauren and their infant daughter. At the house, Edward tries to figure out if Lauren really killed herself, or if a member of his or Laurens family pulled the trigger.

What the press would say:

This is what Prozac was invented for. This movie doesn't just get to you, it ruins you. Once it hooks you, you're done. Director Todd Fields teams with writers David Mamet and Eric Bogosian (which is the most brilliantly strange writing pairing I've seen in a while) to give one of the most heart-wretching films I've seen this decade. What could have been an idea for a horrible dark comedy, or a brainless murder/mystery, is handled with such care that you'll feel like you're IN the movie. There is not one weak link in this cast. Every part is played with the greatest of emotion. Clive Owen takes what could have been a cliched "crazy character" and makes his chacter a tragic portrayal of a man who's lost everything in his life. While supporting roles such as Ellen Page as the sister-in-law, and Timothy Dalton as Clive's father, you cannot ignore a single preformance. Easily, the best movie of the year, with the best cast of the year.

Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Director- Todd Field
Best Screenplay- David Mamet and Eric Bogosian
Best Actor- Clive Owen
Best Actress- Kate Winslet
Best Supporting Actress- Ellen Page
Best Supporting Actor- Timothy Dalton
Best Supporting Actor- Rutger Hauer
Best Supporting Actor- Ben Wishaw
Best Original Score- Thomas Newman
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Editing
Best Cinematography