GenreComedy, Drama Music directorManels Favre WriterMartin Donovan LanguageEnglish
Release dateJuly 4, 2011 (2011-07-04) (Karlovy Vary Film Festival)
June 18, 2012 (2012-06-18) (United States) Initial releaseJune 18, 2012 (New York City) CastOlivia Williams (Emma Stiles), David Morse (Gus), Julian Richings (Maurice LeFont), Katherine Helmond (Irene Longfellow), Martin Donovan (Robert Longfellow) Similar moviesTed Hope was an executive producer for Collaborator and produced Happiness TaglineCan't we all just get along?
Collaborator official u s trailer 2012 tribecca movie hd
Collaborator is a comedy-drama film written and directed by Martin Donovan. This film held its world premiere on July 4, 2011 at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Donovan also stars in the film, portraying a once-successful playwright, Robert Longfellow, who is taken hostage by an ex-con neighbor while on a routine visit to his childhood home. Two-time Emmy-nominee David Morse plays Gus (the neighbor); a man Robert has avoided since he was a boy. The film also stars Olivia Williams, Melissa Auf der Maur, Katherine Helmond and Eileen Ryan play supporting roles. As the drama unfolds, social status, celebrity and the threat of violence converge, leaving the playwright simultaneously shattered and inspired.
Cast
Martin Donovan ... Robert Longfellow
David Morse ... Gus
Olivia Williams ... Emma Stiles
Melissa Auf der Maur ... Alice Longfellow
Katherine Helmond ... Irene Longfellow
Eileen Ryan ... Betty
Julian Richings ... Maurice LeFont
Awards and nominations
46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (2011)
Best Actor — David Morse
Award of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI)
1st Canadian Screen Awards (2013)
Nominated: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role — David Morse
Production
DViant Films and This Is That Productions produced Collaborator. The film's score was composed by Manels Favre. The soundtrack also includes a Brahms cover performed by PJ Harvey. Filming took place in Los Angeles, California, as well as Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.
Reception
As of October 2013, the film has a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 24 reviews.
The New York Times found it "earnest" and "wooden", like a one-act play "in which any visceral tension is secondary to topical debates by a captor and his prisoner". The Los Angeles Times found it "disappointing" and "somber", failing to generate any tension from its thriller elements.
The Globe and Mail awarded it 2.5/5; Adam Litovitz criticised some stagy elements but praised the film as a study of character. The New York Post praised the performances, saying "both characters are riveting".