'Stonehearst Asylum' a wasted opportunity

<b>Mini-review: 'Stonehearst Asylum'</b>

It fails to be sexy, scary, revealing, suspenseful or even exciting. To say Brad Anderson's "Stonehearst Asylum" is based on an Edgar Allan Poe short story would be inaccurate. Anderson's tepid gothic drama is "inspired by" Poe, meaning the movie is under no obligation to reflect its source beyond the title.

This nicely staged and authentically decorated Victorian period piece squanders some great talent here, including Michael Caine as a mental patient and Brendan Gleeson as a lecturer.

A milquetoast Jim Sturgess stars as a young doctor named Edward Newgate who arrives at the intimidating Stonehearst Asylum to be an apprentice to Dr. Lamb (a vaguely unglued Ben Kingsley), whose progressive methods of treating the insane start to raise a red flag.

Good thing Newgate has the smoldering, piano-playing patient Eliza Graves (Kate Beckinsale) to focus on as he struggles to learn the obvious dark secrets of "Stonehearst" and its residents, none of whom is what he appears to be!

Kinda like this movie, which isn't what it appears to be, either, mainly, a classic Poe tale that commands our attention and has a point.

"Stonehearst Asylum" opens at the South Barrington 30. Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual situations and language. 112 minutes. ★ ½

<i> Dann Gire's Reel Life column runs Fridays in Time out!</i>