The i Inside

The i Inside is a 2003 psychological thriller directed by Roland Suso Richter. It was written by Michael Cooney based on his own play Point of Death.

Simon Cable wakes up in a hospital bed, confused and disoriented. He soon discovers from doctors that he has amnesia and is unable to remember the last two years of his life. Cable investigates what has happened to him and slowly pieces together his enigmatic past.

The i Inside has been compared with such films as MementoThe Butterfly EffecteXistenZ^*," target="_blank" >and Jacob's Ladder[http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/60e74e041ca9cd6b8625626f0062219f/352020feadc3337c88256fc70061538a?OpenDocument in several critical reviews. The reason being that these films all feature similar story elements that tend to blur the distinctions between fantasy and reality.

The film has generally received luke-warm reviews from online critics. Review sites such as Beyond Hollywood and DVD Town have commended the film for a rather involving first two-thirds, with the mystery slowly being revealed layer by layer, drawing in the viewer. However, these critics found the ending a let down, calling it a "gotcha" gimmickthat causes "the past 70 or so minutes (to go) out the window"[http://www.beyondhollywood.com/reviews/theiinside.htm.

Christopher Null of Filmcritic.com brings up a strange but interesting point: "The movie is based on a play with a much different title, one that actually gives away the surprise ending."^*

Sometimes it is hard to come back.
When you don't have a memory how can you remember who to trust
If you could go back in your life and change just one thing... Do you know what you would change? Simon Cable knew... and did.
His story began when it all ended

This movie has no connection with the science-fiction novel, "The I Inside," by Alan Dean Foster.

The film is the English-language debut of the German director Roland Suso Richter, whose previous credits include The Tunnel, After the Truth, and 14 Tage Lebenslanglich.

Ritcher commented on the script by saying, "I was excited when I first read the script and if I can give something like that to the audience, that would be great."^*

Christian Slater (as Peter), Stephen Dorff (as Simon Cable), and Jennifer Love Hewitt (as Anna Cable) were originally set to star.

Production began on June 5, 2002 in Wales on a budget of about $10 million and wrapped in the middle of July, 2002. ^*

For the backdrop of the film, the production crew used Sully Hospital, near Penarth, Cardiff in south Wales. ^*

Ryan Phillippe commented on filming in Wales, which was his first trip to the country, "The people are great and I have found some world-class restaurants, which is nice when you are get off from filming and want to go somewhere to relax." ^*

Analyzing the criminal psyche is a common motif amongst screenwriter Cooney's films and plays, and The i Inside is no exception. Though he himself is a stranger to real-life criminal trauma, Cooney explains that, "It's true that (criminal) psychology is a recurring theme of all my plays -- those that aren't comedies, anyway. And while I don't have any background in it, I maintain that it's because I had such a happy childhood. It allowed me to explore the darker side of things, because I knew I would never get lost there." ^*

Interestingly, the film possesses a plot element that is nearly identitcal to a plot device used within the 2004 filmThe Butterfly Effect; however, The i Inside was released a whole year before that film.

Continuity Goof: After he stabs Mr. Travitt, Simon drops the scissors on the floor. When Nurse Clayton leaves and Simon steps around to see Mr. Travitt's face, he's holding the scissors again.

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