In the crucial role of David Leppenraub, Canadian-born actor Colm Feore was chosen because "he has just the perfect combination of playfulness and dead seriousness," says Jackson who had enjoyed working with Feore on The Red Violin and been impressed by his handling of the title role in Thirty Two Short Films about Glen Gould, as well as "Stephen King’s The Storm of The Century."

For Feore, the character of David Leppenraub was not only a challenge but also touched on one of his current interests, photography. ``David is an art photographer, so he takes what he sees in the world and infuses it with everything that’s gone through his rather tortured vision and spits it back out again. I like to get into the mind of people like that and find out what makes them tick.’’

He saw the relationship between Leppenraub and Romulus Ledbetter as an interesting meeting of the minds. "I think they both recognize that they reflect different facets of a very similar nature. They are both obsessed with angels and are driven by an inner compulsion to create.’’

Completing the circle of clashing creative temperaments is Ann Magnuson who plays Leppenraub’s irrepressible and eccentric sister Moira. ``She is also an artist,’’ says Feore. ``We live together and share a kind of sibling rivalry. And in a curious way, we protect each other.’’

Magnuson sees Moira as "a somewhat seductive sculptress who lives in her brother’s shadow. He’s the more successful of the two, but I think that she’s more talented. That makes for a very complex relationship. She is in awe of his talent and somewhat intimidated by his manner. So I think that she is very intrigued when someone like Romulus comes into the picture and challenges him."

Moira is also drawn to Romulus’ creative instincts, according to Magnuson. "Moira doesn’t know that Romulus is homeless and on the streets. She just sees a very unique individual in a nice suit. He’s different than everyone else and she wants to know more about him."

At the same time she recognizes the link between Romulus and her brother, their innate talent and their fertile creative minds. ``There’s something compelling and charismatic about people who are blessed with a gigantic talent. And the particular contrast in this case is that David is very successful and toasted by society while Romulus is overwhelmed by his talent and it has driven him to madness.’’

A manifestation of Romulus’ inner demons is his vision of his estranged wife Sheila, played by Tamara Tunie. Sheila appears in the midst of Romulus’ struggles with sanity both as the voice of reason and as his muse, addressing all his inner conflicts ``Sheila encourages him and berates him,’’ explains Tunie. ``She not only expresses his estranged wife’s real feelings about him, but the conflicting voices in Romulus’ head.’’

For Jackson the character of Sheila ``represents Romulus’ conscience and one of the causes of his breakdown. He’s haunted by Sheila. It’s like a man’s nightmare about raising a family and trying to pursue his creative instincts. Romulus could have been a great concert pianist but he walked away from it all because of the pressure of trying to achieve both dreams simultaneously -- expressing himself as an artist and taking care of his wife and daughter. Trying to split himself in two that way contributed to his mental decline.’’

Novelist George Dawes Green’s original inspiration was to explore "the contrast between being a detective and a paranoid schizophrenic," says Lemmons. In developing the story for the screen, she also highlighted other compelling thematic threads. "I tried to take the elements that were important to George and to the story and mix those with what was important to me and what spoke to me about the material in the first place.’’

For example, Romulus’ relationship with his daughter Lulu evolved from the gentle one depicted in the novel to one that is more complicated and multi-layered. Says Aunjanue Ellis, who plays Lulu, "I think that the fact that I did know my father as this brilliant man and have had to watch him devolve into what he is now, a mentally ill homeless person, is a source of great embarrassment for me. Here is someone I once looked up to, but the relationship has changed and now I’m the parental figure. I still love him, but at the same time it’s hard for me to cope with what he’s become.’’

Lulu insists that her father let the police solve the murder because she doesn’t trust his clouded judgment. For Jackson, Romulus’ feverish leaps of logic ironically help him rather than hinder him. "His deductive powers are very different from everyone else’s. He knows that there is something that keeps nagging him and can’t quite put his finger on it. It’s very ‘Columbo’ like, in that he has to ask that one last question."

And part of what intrigues Romulus is the character of Joey, Leppenraub’s assistant and an up and coming filmmaker, played by Jay Rodan in his feature film acting debut. "Joey is young, he’s passionate and very serious about what he does and what he wants,’’ says Rodan. ``He is in conflict with his hero Leppenraub because he’s desperate to be taken seriously as an artist. But Leppenraub won’t give him the credit he thinks he deserves."

Anthony Michael Hall, who portrays a prominent attorney who befriends Romulus, was thrilled to be part of such a unique project, which combines conventional drama and the metaphysical. He was also eager to work with Jackson again. "Sam is simply one of the best actors on the planet. I actually had the privilege of directing him in a Showtime film six years ago. He had just come off Pulp Fiction, and I was blown away to have that chance. And now I get to work with him as an actor. It’s great."

The cast’s praise for Lemmons is universal and unbounded. "Kasi directs with her feelings a lot and not just with her eye,’’ says Jackson. ``She knows when something feels right, because the performance has come together as a whole and not just some individual piece. Everything has to blend for her. And she makes sure that it does."

Newcomer Rodan was impressed by Lemmons because "as an actress she had experience working with directors and knows what an actor needs. She’s not a director who wants to direct you in every line. She’s much more about supporting you and your effort to find the character and convey it effectively on the screen.’’

Lemmons is aware of how her acting background influences her approach to directing. "I try very hard not to yell direction. I whisper it because that’s the way I like it as an actor. I understand actors and love actors. It’s a wonderful gift to be an actor, to be a good actor."