Unknown white male is a fascinating film that poses ageold questions about memory, identity and who we are as human beings. Bruce is the suddenly isolated and anonymous title character of unknown white male, a bracing documentary that explores the double life of a downtown manhattan fasttracker derailed by. When filmmaker rupert murray heard about an old friend who had lost his memory overnight, he couldnt get the story out of his head. The director, rupert murray, an old friend of doug, spent more than a year filming various episodes in dougs life, including his reunion with family and friends, his visits to doctors, his attempt to relaunch his career, and the start of a new relationship. Fortuitously for the film s director, rupert murray, bruce, who had ambitions to be a professional photographer, recorded much of his actions immediately following the loss. Martin harris liam neeson awakens after a car accident in berlin to discover that his wife january jones suddenly doesnt recognize him and another man aidan quinn has assumed his identity. Rent unknown white male 2005 starring doug bruce on dvd and bluray. Rent unknown white male 2005 on dvd and bluray netflix.
The thing about a movie like unknown white male is that it starts you thinking in the most unsettling ways. There is currently one video available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. Unknown white male is the startling story of a man who, for no apparent reason, lost. After turning himself into the police, he was sent off to a psychi. Rupert also weaves into the cut, fragments of the past that. First up is liam neeson, who is continuing his genreish run with unknown white. Unknown was screened out of competition at the 61st berlin international film festival. After archivists discovered a previously unknown but wellpreserved cache of williamss 16mm films hidden within the. Unknown white male 2006 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. A 35yearold stockbroker living in new york city finds himself riding the subway in brooklyn with just a few random articles in his backpack. That unknown white male is a documentary about a man who on july 3, 2003 wakes up to find himself at coney island without a clue as to why he is there or who he is makes you do a cognitive doubletake. The true story of doug bruce who woke up on coney island with total amnesia. He was raised in britain, went to america, made money in the market, dropped out to study photography, had a girlfriend from poland named magda and a london pal named rupert who is now making a documentary about him.
The documentary, produced, directed and edited by bruces longtime friend, rupert murray, chronicles this profound journey. Imagine living without a history, without experience, no relationships, no past troubles. When dougs friend rupert murray learned of dougs condition, he decided to make a film chronicling dougs return to the world, a return given a little boost in part by murray, who helped arrange reunions with old friends. Unknown white male chronicles the first two years of bruces life, post memory loss. The movie occupies a middling terrain between personal cinema and objective journalism.
Unknown white male is neither serious nor clinical enough to provide an authoritative look at bruces condition, and it lacks the depth to function as a tribute to the personality that disappeared when bruces brain was afflicted. Unknown white male online stream unknown white male gratis. Newhall under construction newhall under construction. That morning, riding alone on a new york subway headed towards coney island, he could not remember his name, where he worked, who his friends were, how much money he had in his bank account. Unknown white male is the first and only film to murrays credit, and it has attracted nearly as much intrigue as bruce himself. But it offers an important lesson about an overlooked illness. Video archive for the film unknown white male, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2006. And the frankness of his early frustrations leads to stunning, poignant moments, as when bruces father casually states that bruce should. That documentary, unknown white male, created enormous buzz at the sundance film festival, but the excitement was soon followed by questions about the films validity. In unknown white male, that person is named doug bruce, or so he is told.
Dec 11, 2007 the documentary film unknown white male, about a new york stockbroker who loses his memory, is medically implausible. Everything you need to know about unknown white male movie 2006. It was released in the united states on february 18, 2011. The film premiered at the sundance film festival 2005. Just imagine waking up tomorrow with no memory of today or any other since the day of your birth. You kinda get the whole story in the first 30 or so, and as the film goes on it loses the electric buzz of enigma that it possesses early on. The cinema has always been fascinated with amnesiacs attempting to discover their identities. Jaume colletserra orphan, house of wax darsteller cast.
Monica film center santa monica monica film center santa monica. With a quirky visual style, this documentary follows a story of memory loss and confusion while. Liam neeson, diane kruger, january jones, aidan quinn, frank langella. Weve got a bunch of quick casting notes today for some projects about which there arent a lot of details yet. That morning, riding alone on a new york subway headed towards coney island. Everything you need to know about unknown white male movie. The film s strange tale has led a handful of critics to question. Apr 08, 2006 unknown white male is a feature documentary based on the experience of doug bruce.
Fortuitously for the films director, rupert murray, bruce, who had ambitions to be a professional photographer, recorded much of his actions immediately following the loss. The documentary unknown white male chronicles the struggles of a man trying to rebuild his life after suffering complete amnesia. Unknown white male is a 2005 documentary film directed by rupert murray, covering the life of his childhood friend doug bruce, a british resident of new york. After being nominated for the documentary feature grand prize at the 2005 sundance film festival, unknown white male became the subject of several journalistic inquiries questioning its authenticity. Oliver butcher and stephen cornwell wrote the script, based on the didier van cauwelaert novel out of my head. R upert murrays unknown white male is an interesting film. The documentary film unknown white male, about a new york stockbroker who loses his memory, is medically implausible. With the help of a young woman, he sets out to prove who he is. Unknown white male is being shot entirely on location in germany, with some filming being accomplished at studio babelsberg, the oldest largescale studio complex in the world. Unknown white male is a feature documentary based on the experience of doug bruce. Unknown white male is the true story sometime between 8pm on july 1st and 7am on july 3rd, 2003, doug bruce lost himself.
Unknown white male is a 2005 documentary film directed by rupert murray, covering the life of his childhood friend doug bruce, a british resident of new york who appeared to suffer from sudden amnesia, who woke up on a subway train in coney island in 2003, not knowing who or where he was the film premiered at the sundance film festival 2005. Sometime between 8pm on july 1st and 7am on july 3rd, 2003, doug bruce lost himself. It doesnt help that apart from his amnesia, the central dude here, doug bruce, doesnt seem like all that compelling a personality. Unknown white male is a 2005 documentary film directed by rupert murray, covering the life of his childhood friend doug bruce, a british resident of new york who appeared to suffer from sudden amnesia, who woke up on a subway train in coney island in 2003, not knowing who or where he was. Imagine starting your life over again, making a new set of friends, finding new talents and falling in love for the first time. As he builds new memories, he becomes more complete. If his friend was a stockbroker, what brokerage did he work for. The documentary unknown white male follows the life of a man who awoke one day at coney island with no memory. Feb 24, 2006 that documentary, unknown white male, created enormous buzz at the sundance film festival, but the excitement was soon followed by questions about the film s validity. This documentary follows him as he rediscovers himself and the world around him. Ultimately, many of the the negative responses to the film may be because what happened to doug totally threatens our worldview, everything. Mar 10, 2006 the documentary unknown white male chronicles the struggles of a man trying to rebuild his life after suffering complete amnesia.
Studio babelsberg is also a coproducer on the film, under an agreement with silvers dark castle entertainment. Feb 06, 2010 just imagine waking up tomorrow with no memory of today or any other since the day of your birth. A man awakens from a coma, only to discover that someone has taken on his identity and that no one, not even his wife, believes him. Unknown white male is the true story of how bruce, a successful former stockbroker, struggles to learn who he was and who he will become. Principal photography has begun on jaume colletserras orphan next project unknown white male in germany. Unknown white male is a kind of video diary of the first 21 months of dougs new life. Unknown white male 2005 documentary filmmaker rupert murray discovers that doug bruce, his friend of many years, rode the subway to coney island where he had no recollection of who he was or how.
With liam neeson, diane kruger, january jones, aidan quinn. And the frankness of his early frustrations leads to stunning, poignant moments, as when bruces father casually states that bruce should consult his family on any questions about how he should. Liam neeson, who became an action thriller star in last years taken, is negotiating to star in unknown white male, the dark castle thriller that will be directed by jaume colletserra orphan, variety reported joel silver is producing with leonard goldberg. Liam neeson to become an unknown white male syfy wire. Rupert murrays documentary unknown white male artfully captures the portrait of a man forced to forge a life for himself again. The film tracks his attempts to get reacquainted with his life and the everyday. Unknown white male was shot over ten months on hi definition and super 16mm, featuring key interviews and actuality recorded with doug, his friends and family as well as the reconstruction of dougs first day, waking up on the new york subway and being held at coney island hospital. Jan 28, 2005 unknown white male is neither serious nor clinical enough to provide an authoritative look at bruces condition, and it lacks the depth to function as a tribute to the personality that disappeared when bruces brain was afflicted. Rupert murray, who claims to have met doug bruce in london when they were 18 or 19, has been questioned because he knows so little about doug.
Skilfully directed by dougs friend rupert murray, unknown white male is a fascinating documentary, which traces the process by which its subject learns about his old self, whilst adjusting to. The films strange tale has led a handful of critics to question. Remarkably, all of this is a true story, as documented in unknown white male. Murray stretches out the dramatic tale of bruces first terrifying hours of recall, and bruces raw misery as he recounts those events is deeply affecting. Overview of unknown white male, 2005, directed by rupert murray, with doug bruce, at turner classic movies. Filming begins on jaume colletserras unknown white male. Ayoung british man wakes up on a subway train in new york. Doug bruce woke up in coney island with no memory of any day of his life. By the end of the film, he has not regained his memory but, other than the amnesia, hes no different than anyone else. Apr 08, 2006 r upert murrays unknown white male is an interesting film.
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