Descent (2007)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Talia Lugacy

Writers:

Talia Lugacy (writer)
Brian Priest (writer)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A college co-ed is brutally raped and struggles alone to rebuild her life.

Plot Keywords:

College | Club | Cocaine | Restaurant | Double Life

Cast

Rosario Dawson	...	Maya
Chad Faust	...	Jared
Marcus Patrick	...	Adrian
Vanessa Ferlito	...	Bodega Girl
Jonathan Neil Schneider	...	Archeology Professor (as Jon Schneider)
James A. Stephens	...	Professor Byron
Nicole Vicius	...	Melanie
Paul Sado	...	Downstairs Guy
Scott Bailey	...	Upstairs Guy
Tracie Thoms	...	Denise
Aisleagh Jackson	...	Construction Girl
Robert Lehrer	...	Speaker
Alexie Gilmore	...	Seline
Johnathan Tchaikovsky	...	Tyler
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine	...	Nadia
Scott Porter	...	Brooks
Lee Van Bradley	...	Harlan
Jacqueline Duprey	...	Celeste
Wilson Jermaine Heredia	...	Diego
Tommy Guiffre	...	Danny
Aaron Staton	...	Jared's Friend
Matthew J. Walters	...	Tim Banks (as Matt Walters)
Peter Bongiorno	...	Football Coach
Adam Mucci	...	Football Player (as Adam Munci)
Nigel Harvey	...	Background Player
Phoebe Strole	...	Innocent Girl
Patrick Moroney	...	Background Player
Tomm Bauer	...	Student
Melaena Cadiz	...	Student
Kevin Cannon	...	Gruff Hood
Paul Frolov	...	Usher
Charlie Hewson	...	Usher
Dennis Leeflang	...	Club Goer
Alissa Salvatore	...	Background Player
Christen Satchelle	...	College Kid / Club Goer
Brian M. Wixson	...	Gruff Man #4 (as Brian Wixson)
Kristen Ruhlin	...	Maya's Friend from High School
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sergia Louise Anderson	...	Christie (uncredited)
Chuck Ardezzone	...	Gruff Man (uncredited)
Aran Bertetto	...	Student / College Grad (uncredited)
Jon Budinoff	...	Friendly Guy (uncredited)
Rachael Leigh Cook	...	Allison (uncredited)
Stany Coppet	...	Clubber (uncredited)
Nathan Craig	...	Student at College (uncredited)
Tim Curcio	...	Student (uncredited)
Isabel Dawson	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Christopher DeBlasio	...	Frat Brother (uncredited)
Tate Ellington	...	George (uncredited)
Abigail Forman	...	Ashleigh (uncredited)
Connor Fox	...	Steve (uncredited)
Melissa Fumero	...	Dorm Girl #2 (uncredited)
Spencer Grammer	...	Stephanie (uncredited)
Robert Haley	...	Gruff Man #2 (uncredited)
Suzy Kaye	...	Cafeteria Girl (uncredited)
Jasmine Lobe	...	Dorm Girl #3 (uncredited)
Cristina Marie	...	College Student (uncredited)
Brooke Sunny Moriber	...	Dorm Girl #1 (uncredited)
James O'Toole	...	Craig (uncredited)
Rosalie Perez	...	Rosalie (uncredited)
Cosmo Pfeil	...	Brock (uncredited)
Ashleigh Prather	...	Mandy (uncredited)
Shannan Leigh Reeve	...	Anthropology Student (uncredited)
Jennifer Sciole	...	Mary (uncredited)
Steve Sirkis	...	Frat Boy (uncredited)
George Spielvogel III	...	Mathew (uncredited)
Lynn-Marie Stetson	...	Pneumonia Girl (uncredited)
Francie Swift	...	Clair (uncredited)
Alicia Van Couvering	...	Female (uncredited)
Dana Varon	...	Rebecca (uncredited)
Chris Wylde	...	Chris (uncredited)

Directed by
Talia Lugacy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Talia Lugacy		writer
Brian Priest		writer

Produced by
Michael Almog	....	executive producer
Michael Bassick	....	executive producer
Michael Califra	....	executive producer
Isabel Dawson	....	associate producer (as Isabel Celeste)
Rosario Dawson	....	producer
Danny Fisher	....	executive producer
Jack Fisher	....	executive producer
Joe Fisher	....	executive producer
Gary S. Gumowitz	....	executive producer
Marcus Lansdell	....	co-producer
Morris S. Levy	....	producer
Talia Lugacy	....	producer
Jeff Mazzola	....	co-producer
Phil Michas	....	co-executive producer
Jess Mogul	....	executive producer
John Scaccia	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Alex Moulton		(original music by)

Cinematography by
Jonathan Furmanski		(director of photography)
Christopher LaVasseur		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Reynolds

Casting by
Adrienne Stern

Production Design by
Tristam Steinberg

Art Direction by
Joel Custer

Costume Design by
Amy Ritchings

Makeup Department
Johanna Gavilanes	....	hair stylist assistant
Johanna Gavilanes	....	makeup artist assistant
Antwan Jones	....	hair stylist assistant
Antwan Jones	....	makeup artist assistant
Sarit Klein	....	key hair stylist
Sarit Klein	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Alex Foster	....	production supervisor
Jared Goldman	....	production manager: additional photography (uncredited)
Jeff Mazzola	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Epstein	....	first assistant director (as Paul Samuel Epstein)
Vadim Epstein	....	second second assistant director
Bruce Hall	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Heather Corbett	....	lead set dresser
Brian Goodwin	....	set dresser
Pamela Day Rappaport	....	property master (as Pam Rappaport)
Erica Parise	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Jae Song	....	art department (uncredited)

Sound Department
Shaun Brennan	....	assistant sound editor
Shaun Brennan	....	foley artist
Tammy Douglas	....	sound mixer
Mark Garcia	....	assistant supervising sound editor
Zach Liss	....	sound intern
Eric Milano	....	foley engineer
Eric Offin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Offin	....	supervising sound editor
Guillermo Pena-Tapia	....	boom operator
Daniel Perlin	....	sound effects editor
Jeff Formosa	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)
Mark Garcia	....	post-production sound (uncredited)
John Sember	....	additional sound mixer (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Benjamin Murray	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael Best	....	first assistant camera
Chuck Bronner	....	best boy electric
Joseph Falcone	....	camera production assistant
Sarah L. Hendrick	....	camera assistant (as Sarah Hendrick)
Jeffrey Kim	....	gaffer (as Jeff Kim)
Jonny Leahan	....	still photographer
Joe Mandeville	....	best boy grip
Greg McMahon	....	second assistant camera
Yusuke Naito	....	electrician
Dave Ranghelli	....	key grip
Peter Vietro-Hannum	....	steadicam operator
Alex Willson	....	swing
Michael C. Maronna	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Tammy Porto	....	casting associate
Leah Pracher	....	extras casting
Mike Scarna	....	casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathryne Wick	....	wardrobe supervisor
Zairi Malcolm	....	additional wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Kate Eales	....	additional editor
Scot Olive	....	colorist
Nerina Penzhorn	....	assistant editor
Tim Hedden	....	colorist: dailies (uncredited)

Music Department
Haji A.	....	additional music supervisor: Club Scenes (as Haji Akhigbad)
Stephanie Diaz-Matos	....	music supervisor
Mike Scarna	....	composer: theme (uncredited)

Other crew
Tatiana Arocha	....	title designer
Mocha Brown	....	adr loop group
Dolores Chapman	....	accounting services
Adam Cooper	....	adr loop group
Noel Estrada	....	production assistant: first team
Robert Fingerman	....	accounting services
Brian Goodwin	....	adr loop group
Darren E. Johnson	....	adr loop group
Nadine Jolson	....	publicist
Fawzia Kahn	....	adr loop group
Chris Kelly	....	adr loop group
Jonny Leahan	....	unit publicist
Sydney Leier	....	production assistant (as Syd Leier)
Collin Longsworth	....	production assistant
Ted Macke	....	accounting services
Mark McKennon	....	location manager
Andrew Menan	....	production coordinator
Patrick Moroney	....	adr loop group
May Moy	....	assistant: Mr.Levy
Walter Wiz Nichols	....	adr loop group
Graham Osbourne	....	adr loop group
Louie Palanca	....	caterer
Erica Parise	....	location manager
Brian Priest	....	production physician
Matthew Reedy	....	production assistant (as Matt Reedy)
Jim Reilly	....	creative consultant
Mike Scarna	....	adr loop group
Martin Schoeneborn	....	production assistant
R. Zachary Shildwachter	....	key production assistant (as Zach Shildwachter)
Jodie Alexandra Taylor	....	script supervisor (as Jodi Alexandra-Taylor)
Jesse Davidson	....	daily location manager (uncredited)
Shawn Langleiben	....	location scout (uncredited)

Thanks
Brian Goodwin	....	special thanks
Darren E. Johnson	....	special thanks
Mike Scarna	....	special thanks (as Michael Scarna)

Production Companies

• City Lights Pictures
• M.E.G.A. Films
• Trybe Films

Distributors

• City Lights Pictures (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• City Lights Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Pictures (2007) (Italy) (all media)
• Eagle Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)
• I-On New Media (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• VVS Films (2007) (Canada) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Camera Service Center  camera equipment
• D.R. Reiff & Associates  insurance (as D.R. Reiff)
• Jolson Creative Image PR  publicity
• Ovasen  post-production services and facilities
• PostWorks, The Lab  processing
• Postworks New York  digital intermediate laboratory
• Postworks New York  selects transfer
• Tandem Sound  post-production
• Tandem Sound  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal rape, language, some sexual content and drug use. (edited version); Rated NC-17 for a brutal rape. (original theatrical version)

Runtime:

101 min | 94 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (edited version) | Australia:R | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | New Zealand:R18 | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Fairleigh Dickinson University - 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, New Jersey, USA

Company:

City Lights Pictures

Movie Connections:

References The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Soundtrack:

Piano Sonata in A major D 959

Lugacy and Dawson bring home the darker side...

First, this was a BRAVE film. I've seen Irreversible and can understand the comparisons. However, I cannot begin to understand the people who've trashed this film. I can see how the end may have come off extreme but I'd be lying if I didn't say I wished that every guy who's ever forced a woman into sex deserved exactly what Jared got. Conversely, it didn't solve anything or make anything better and the fact that the film doesn't pretend to is what made me appreciate it.

The comment prior to this one called the film pathetic and claimed no adult would stick with. I certainly did and intently. I'm 24 years old. The way the film drags made it realistic to me. People have become so used to eye candy and fast paced plots on screen that if you ask them to concentrate too long on one brick in the foundation of a film, not only do they lose interest, they demolish whatever has been built, and call it rubbish. When in actuality it's their lack of patience and comprehension that needs fine tuning and not the product of a creative mind such as Talia Lugacy's.

Rosario Dawson displayed the numbness of self-destruction flawlessly. I think she portrayed Maya pre and post assault with great ease and the transition between the two is an act I rarely ever see done well. Often times, much like the films "aimed at teens" mentioned in the prior comment, the effects of rape are displayed as either extremely manic and impulsive or terribly depressed, isolated and lifeless. Dawson, in my opinion, manages to perform the balancing act so many survivors fall prey to: drone-like existence in the waking hours, working some dead end job to survive (and distract) and then overindulging in vices in order to lose themselves in the haze of substance abuse rather than face what sobriety brings.

I thought this film told the truth and I appreciated it for finally showing people a different side of rape. So many people let the end of this film devour the middle and the beginning...I believe that Maya's face during the act was the end...not the act itself...not the vengeance or the meaning behind it...just her face...

thank you