Louisa

Author(s): Brian
Location: Arizona

“Louisa”

Directed by Roman Polanski
Written by William Goldman
Produced by Roman Polanski and Alain Sarde
Music by Thomas Newman

Principal Cast:

Jake Gyllenhaal (Grant Rosella)
Kathy Bates (Allegra Brady)
Penelope Cruz (Louisa)
David Strathairn (Gregory Abram)
Tommy Lee Jones (Walter Brady)

Tagline: “A Freak Accident Will Inspire a Story. A Story Will Inspire a Character. A Character Will Inspire a Murder”

Synopsis: Grant Rosella is a world-renowned skier. He has won two Olympic Gold Metals all before he turned 30 and has become a pop culture icon. But, like many athletes, he cannot avoid the threat of injury. When he goes down one of the steepest hills known to man with hopes of a 3rd Gold Metal dancing in his mind rather than those of precautions, he runs into a large group of trees and breaks every single bone in his body. The doctors say that he’s lucky to be alive, but will never be able to ski again. Those are the same reasons that he feels unlucky. But then, he picks up a pen and a notepad. Meanwhile, Allegra Brady has been appointed as an in-home nurse for Grant. The two hit it off right away, and many see her as what saved him from suicide. But it wasn’t her. It was a hobby. Grant was scribbling down what may be the great American tragedy when he was trapped in his bed. It is about a woman named Louisa. Louisa is a Mexican woman and the common fancy of almost every man in the town, but she is doomed when she falls in love with an American tourist. And as he writes, Grant becomes so fond of his character of Louisa that he starts to daydream about her. He imagines what she would be like to meet, what she would say and the little details about her. He tells Allegra about all of them, and she begins to become concerned for the mental health of her patient. Is he really seeing a character of his own mind? Is he schizophrenic if he is aware that what he is seeing is imaginary? Does he know that what he is seeing is imaginary? He needs someone that will listen to him forever. And that’s where Gregory Abram comes into play. Gregory is a reporter for a prominent news magazine, assigned to do a report on the recovery and condition of Grant Rosella. He tells him all about Louisa, which only makes him think of her more; and Abram hangs on every word. Now, he has written himself, Gregory and Allegra into his own work. But, as he continues to write the story, the characters of Gregory and Allegra threaten to hurt Louisa. Grant believes that life will imitate art, and that Gregory and Allegra will somehow pull him away from his relationship with Louisa. He sees her everywhere, and he clings on every command she gives. And it isn’t long until she asks for the ultimate favor…of murder.

What the press would say:

To call Jake Gyllenhaal’s portrayal of Grant Rosella good would be an understatement. To call it great would be an understatement. To call it the best performance of the year would be an understatement. To call it one of the best performances of all time would be just right. One cannot review the new film “Louisa” without first commenting on how perfect Jake Gyllenhaal is in it. He reminds us why there is a Best Actor category at the Oscars; the Academy might as well just carve his name into the statuette now to save time. It is so rare for an actor to survive all the hype of online “buzzers,” but he actually exceeds it and gives a performance so good, it would turn a hater of Gyllenhaal into his #1 fan. It is truly an indescribable display of acting, and it deserves every bit of critical acclaim it has received (which, as we know, was overwhelming). Any actor will tell you that the hardest character to play is one where you are supposed to go insane, but Gyllenhaal delivers every one of extremely difficult lines with such emotion and control, he makes it look like a walk in the park. His moments of silence create such tension as well, and his chemistry with co-stars Kathy Bates (who also deserves Oscar consideration for her outstanding portrayal of Gyllenhaal’s assistant and eventual victim) and Penelope Cruz (who also graces the screen to give a fantastic performance as the mind child of Gyllenhaal) is truly remarkable. But, the best scenes of the film occur with Gyllenhaal and David Stratharin. Their chemistry is absolutely amazing, and when you see their scenes together, you can tell that you’re seeing truly outstanding work, even if you know nothing about acting. Wrap this all up with a chilling screenplay by William Goldman, a haunting score by Thomas Newman, great ensemble performances and stunning direction by the legendary Roman Polanski and I believe we are looking at a strong Best Picture contender with “Louisa” (and a lock for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor), with a strong campaign in the following categories…

Best Picture (Roman Polanski and Alain Sarde)
Best Director (Roman Polanski)
Best Actor (Jake Gyllenhaal)
Best Supporting Actress (Penelope Cruz, Kathy Bates)
Best Supporting Actor (David Stra
Best Original Score (Thomas Newman)
Best Film Editing
Best Original Song (“Repent Me” by U2)
Best Cinematography