K-PAX - Everything is possible
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | K-PAX - Everything is possible |
| Original title | K-PAX |
| Country of production | UK , Germany , USA |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2001 |
| length | 120 minutes |
| Age rating |
FSK 12 JMK 10 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Iain Softley |
| script | Charles Leavitt |
| production |
Lawrence Gordon , Lloyd Levin , Robert F. Colesberry |
| music | Edward Shearmur |
| camera | John Mathieson |
| cut | Craig McKay |
| occupation | |
| |
K-PAX - Anything is Possible (Original Title: K-PAX ) is a 2001 film by director Iain Softley with Kevin Spacey in the lead role. The film is based on the novel “K-PAX” (German book title: “As from a strange star”) by Gene Brewer and tells the story of a man who claims to be from the planet K-PAX , about 1000 light years away, near the constellation Lyra to come. The film was shown for the first time in Germany as part of the Fantasy Film Festival on August 10, 2002.
action
Because he does not pass along with it and behaves unusually, a middle-aged man who calls himself Prot, in the Grand Central Station of New York arrested. He pretends to be an extraterrestrial being in human form, who comes from a planet called K-Pax, and is then admitted to a psychiatric institution. When he did not respond to any treatment after a month, Dr. Powell who neglects his family because of his job. It turns out that Prot prefers to eat fruit and that it can see ultraviolet light . Before long, some of the staff, and especially the patients of the institution, believe his story to be true. Dr. Powell is impressed with the plausibility of the statements.
After Prot answers a list of astrophysical questions in astonishing detail, Dr. Powell with him to the Hayden Planetarium to find out more with a group of top astrophysicists . Prot is supposed to prove that he can travel faster than light, but he does not move during the demonstration. He claims to have traveled so quickly that it is imperceptible to the human eye. The scientists think this is a joke. After that, however, Prot astonishes the scientists with his knowledge: in particular, he can record the planetary orbits of his alleged home system and explain one of their previously puzzling peculiarities.
Dr. Powell realizes that Prot has an inexplicable positive effect on the other patients who are gradually healing, Prot speaks of self-healing abilities . Prot promises the patients that he can take one of them with him on his upcoming return trip to K-Pax, whereupon they enthusiastically make preparations. Dr. Powell, however, fears that something bad will happen on that day of his “departure” in a few weeks, and so he hurries to clear up Prot's past. He performs an age regression with Prot , which brings him closer to the man's tragic secret with each session. He discovered the story of Robert Porter, a worker in a slaughterhouse.
Porter tried to drown himself in a river five years ago after killing a burglar with bare hands in his home who recently murdered his wife and daughter. Apparently Prot is Robert Porter, who survived but lost his memory. However, Prot mysteriously disappears for a few days and reappears just as suddenly in the clinic, without the hospital staff being able to observe him. Powell hadn't taken Protot seriously that he wanted to look around the world a little longer.
At the exact time of his "departure" predicted by Prot, he waits in his room, takes off his sunglasses, which he says he does not need on K-PAX, and looks out the window. Dr. Powell, who almost missed the moment, runs through the hospital to Prot's room. The picture from the surveillance camera, with which the employees follow Prot's actions, is lost and one sees the light of the rising sun illuminating Prot's room. When Powell arrives in the room, it seems empty at first, then he sees Porter lying unconscious under the bed. He lives, but no longer reacts to his environment - he is completely catatonic and has to be driven in a wheelchair.
At the same time as Prot's apparent transformation into Robert Porter, the patient Bess has disappeared without a trace. Patients believe Prot kept his promise and took them to K-PAX. In the epilogue you can see Dr. Powell drives the catatonic Robert Porter in a wheelchair some time later and talks to him. He tells of the progress made by his fellow patients, who have since been released, and that he is concerned about the whereabouts of the still missing Bess. Finally, Dr. Powell has long been back with his son from his first marriage, to whom he has repeatedly sent money and financed his studies, but with whom he had little contact. Prot has Dr. Powell demonstrated the importance of family.
background
- After the actual end and the credits of the film, a short scene is shown again in which Dr. Powell looks thoughtfully at the night sky through a telescope in his garden.
- The film is a co-production of the British companies “Intermedia Films” and “Pathé Pictures International” with the German “IMF Internationale Medien und Film GmbH & Co. 2. Produktions KG” and the US “Lawrence Gordon Productions”.
criticism
"Little independent fantasy story, which thanks to excellent actors and fascinating photography knows how to captivate more than the narrated story actually deserves."
“[…] Above all, K-Pax offers a type of SF that you only see every few years. In addition, the full-length fascinating film is really intelligent Hollywood star cinema [...] "
"The novel of the same name by Gene Brewer was adapted for the screenplay, and questions have already been raised in the USA as to whether or not the Argentine film" Rantes - The Man Who Looks South "from 1986 ( Rantes, Hombre mirando al Sudeste or Man Facing Southeast ) by Eliseo Subiela served as an unnamed template. This parable about heaven and hell is also about a patient in a mental hospital who claims to be of extraterrestrial origin. Director Iain Softley (“ The Wings of the Dove ”) uses the same premise, but reinforces the subtext, which would probably happen if Jesus Christ came to earth a second time. [...] "
Awards
Kevin Spacey was nominated for the Saturn Award in 2002 and Alfre Woodard for the Image Award .
The German Film and Media Assessment FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable.
Web links
- K-PAX - Everything is possible in the German synchronous file
- K-PAX - Everything is possible in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- K-PAX - Everything is possible at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ The name of the planet - K-Pax - is reminiscent of pax (Latin: peace ).
- ↑ K-PAX - Everything is possible. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ Wolfgang Jeschke , Sascha Mamczak (Ed.): The Science Fiction Year 2003 . Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, Munich, p. 314.
- ↑ kino.de film review , added Aug. 4, 2016