REVIEW: Tim Blake Nelson’s ANESTHESIA feels like something of an indie throwback, in that it’s the kind of multi-character drama that was in-vogue in the years following Paul Haggis’ CRASH before too many pale imitators made the mini-genre peter-out. A strong effort from Nelson, who hasn’t directed a movie since his odd Edward Norton-vehicle LEAVES OF GRASS, ANESTHESIA makes you somewhat nostalgic for that kind of film, although to be sure this is a rather good example of the genre.
Using a simple, easy to relate-to premise (a loved one being violently attacked) Nelson (who also wrote) doesn’t shy away from using prototypical, art-house heroes (the verbose English lit professor, his tortured student, the inner-city drug addict, the philanderer, etc). Their familiarity works in their favour, particularly in the casting as most are cast to type, giving us a kind of short-hand with all the characters that allows Nelson to pack a lot into his relatively scant eighty-five minute running time.
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