After Ben Garvey foolishly turned back to crime, he thought his life was over when he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. But his death sentence isn't quite what it seems, as Ben regains consciousness near an eerie psychiatric ward, where he's told he's been hired as the groundskeeper. With the state of his soul in question, and the love for his wife and daughter all the more real and powerful, Ben must figure out if he's truly cheated death, or if he's become part of something far more sinister.
Paul Walker
Ben Garvey
Piper Perabo
Lisa Garvey
Lambert Wilson
Avery
Linda Cardellini
Julie Ingram
Shawn Hatosy
Ricky Garvey
Bob Gunton
Father Ezra
Malcolm Goodwin
Robbie
Brooklynn Proulx
Katie Garvey
Tony Curran
William Reeds
Ross McMillan
Dr. James
Aaron Hughes
Caleb
Sean Skene
Orderly
John Callander
The Lineman
Alex Sol
Phelps
Peter Jordan
Male Tech
Chuck Robinson
Security Guard
David Duncan
Cop #1
Richard Thomas
Cop #2
Frank Adamson
Danny
Ofield Williams
Joey
Mike O'Brien
Patrick Bonaire
Leigh Enns
Realtor Woman
Ty Wood
Young Ben
Steve Ratzlaff
Detective
Dan Skene
Uniformed Cop
Susan Kelso
Human Society Woman
Manfred Maretzki
Minister
Aryanna Zamonsky
Little Girl in Diner
Lisa Durupt
Mother in Diner
Onalee Ames
Waitress in Diner
Jessica Burleson
Woman at Post Office
Tracy Beemer
Female Tech (as Tracy McMahon)
Director, Screenplay
John Glenn
Story
Evan Astrowsky
July 14, 2014
7
Lazarus of Oregon.
The Lazarus Project is directed by John Patrick Glen, who also co-writes the screenplay with Evan Astrowsky. It stars Paul Walker, Linda Cardellini, Piper Perabo, Bob Gunton, Malcolm Goodwin and Tony Curran. Music is by Brian Tyler and cinematography by Jerzy Zielinski.
A reformed criminal out on parole is beset by bad luck and finds himself sentenced to die by lethal injection. Strange then that once the lethal dose is administered, he wakes up working as a grounds-keeper at a psychiatric hospital…
John Glen's first directing assignment is very much a mixed bag, but if landing in the DVD/Blu-ray players of the right audience it could well gain some momentum in the wake of Walker's untimely death.
It's one of those films that operates at a funereal pace and thrives on other worldly atmosphere. After the introductions to the main character and his psychological make-up is out the way, pic shifts into a realm where we, as well as Walker's character, are never sure what is real or what is going on. Is he in some afterlife place? Is it all in his head? A dream? Drug induced? And etc. One of the smart things about the movie is that it binds the audience to the mystery by asking us to fill in the gaps with our own logic. While crucially the reveal comes at the right time so as to give us viewers the opportunity to re-evaluate the various quandaries that the piece has thrown up.
For those who like films like Jacob's Ladder, Shutter Island, The Jacket et al, then this has to be at the very least of interest, to warrant the chance to sell itself to those particular sub-genre fans, besides which, it also shows a string to Walker's acting bow that was rarely tapped into by other directors. And it's beautifully shot by Zielinski too. Contemplative, intriguing and even chilling as regards the various themes it deals with, this Lazarus deserves its own second coming. 7/10