CineVegas 2009

The nymphomaniac virgin, the twin-less trophy wife, and the rapping stockbroker are a little off. Likewise, the electronics-loving Lolita, the faded pin-up girl, and the paranoid are not quite right. But when these six would-be patients compete for the last available bed in a luxurious insane asylum… well, that’s just plain crazy. And, without a doubt, absurdly appealing. ASYLUM SEEKERS’ mood-driven cinematography and production design create a Terry Gilliam-esque world of freaky characters and cracked institutions that point to the surreal but are uncomfortably close to reality. Director Rania Ajami blends absurdity with psychotherapy and madness with magic realism. Touching upon the themes of identity, normality, sexuality, romance, reality, and the idea of what exactly constitutes insanity, Ajami lays out a colorful vision that matches her colorful characters. Along with her performers, all of whom help us connect with the disconnected, she delivers what is not just an exaggerated observation of the people society doesn’t willingly accept, but a reflective one that questions the human condition — one that is as whimsical as it complex, as comedic as it is chaotic.