All of genres, Science Fiction is perhaps the one that has produced the best films examining the identity of the self.
1982’s Blade Runner recounts the story of a government sanctioned bounty hunter chasing down renegade androids told against the backdrop of the man coming to grips with the fact that he, too, may be nothing more than a scientist’s creation. Similarly, 1990’s Total Recall – which, like Blade Runner, also stems from the imagination of storyteller Philip K. Dick – introduces audiences to a future wherein newly-implanted memories cause a psychological breakdown in a man whose biggest secret is that he may not be who he has long believed himself to be. 1998’s Dark City explored the plight of John Murdoch, a recovering amnesiac who finds himself on-the-run from the hidden overlords of an alien infestation hellbent on keeping him from realizing not only who he is but what powers he might discover as a result.
2015’s Self/Less comes into this heady mix as another competitor in like-minded fare but offers up an interesting variation on the theme: as the tale explores the concept of consciousness being medically swapped from one body to another, the narrative pits not one but two alpha males on a quest to discover who they are and what they stand for. Written by Álex Pastor and David Pastor – the team responsible for 2009’s Carriers and 2013’s The Last Days (reviewed here) – the film was directed by Tarsem Singh who incidentally delved into similar territory with 2000’s The Cell (reviewed here). The project starred Ben Kingsley, Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Victor Garber, and others.
Superficially, it’s safe to conclude that the film really plays out more like a good screen thriller – with some solid action once it gets going – than it invests in any serious discussion of its medical, philosophical, psychological, and existential implications. Nevertheless, it’s still worth considering it alongside the aforementioned entries because there are enough similarities between them to grade it as just a simpler alteration dumbed down a bit in hopes of wider consumption.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
1982’s Blade Runner recounts the story of a government sanctioned bounty hunter chasing down renegade androids told against the backdrop of the man coming to grips with the fact that he, too, may be nothing more than a scientist’s creation. Similarly, 1990’s Total Recall – which, like Blade Runner, also stems from the imagination of storyteller Philip K. Dick – introduces audiences to a future wherein newly-implanted memories cause a psychological breakdown in a man whose biggest secret is that he may not be who he has long believed himself to be. 1998’s Dark City explored the plight of John Murdoch, a recovering amnesiac who finds himself on-the-run from the hidden overlords of an alien infestation hellbent on keeping him from realizing not only who he is but what powers he might discover as a result.
2015’s Self/Less comes into this heady mix as another competitor in like-minded fare but offers up an interesting variation on the theme: as the tale explores the concept of consciousness being medically swapped from one body to another, the narrative pits not one but two alpha males on a quest to discover who they are and what they stand for. Written by Álex Pastor and David Pastor – the team responsible for 2009’s Carriers and 2013’s The Last Days (reviewed here) – the film was directed by Tarsem Singh who incidentally delved into similar territory with 2000’s The Cell (reviewed here). The project starred Ben Kingsley, Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Victor Garber, and others.
Superficially, it’s safe to conclude that the film really plays out more like a good screen thriller – with some solid action once it gets going – than it invests in any serious discussion of its medical, philosophical, psychological, and existential implications. Nevertheless, it’s still worth considering it alongside the aforementioned entries because there are enough similarities between them to grade it as just a simpler alteration dumbed down a bit in hopes of wider consumption.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A dying real estate mogul transfers his consciousness into a healthy young body but soon finds that neither the procedure nor the company that performed it are quite what they seem.”
Though most folks may’ve missed it, 2015’s Self/Less has this terrific parallel storyline that inevitably makes the film much better than it likely would’ve otherwise been.
Billionaire Damian Hale (played by Bens Kingsley) is about as ruthless as corporate magnate as they come. Having occupied the highest rung in the world of high stakes business for more than a few decades, he can utterly destroy his competition with little more than a snap of his fingers. In fact, the film opens with such a display of his amalgamated power: an up-and-coming young executive finds his career and lifestyle entirely sidetracked over taking a public stance in direct opposition to Hale’s, and he learns of his destruction directly from the aged billionaire and his right-hand man Martin O’Neill (Victor Garber) as they swap more than barbs over coffee in some posh New York restaurant. It’s a quick scene, but it rather eloquently establishes Hale as one not to be trifled with in any measurable way – the quintessential practiced and policed alpha male amongst society’s ruling elite.
In contrast, Mark Bitwell is one of those meat-and-potatoes Americans who has served his country with distinction as a soldier in the military. Having completed his tour of duty, he comes home to discover that his daughter Anna (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen) is suffering from a life-altering illness. Though he and his wife Madeline (Natalie Martinez) seemingly have nowhere to turn, Bitwell discovers there is a clandestine medical facility which – in exchange for surrendering his body to them for research – will pay for the young girl’s treatment. When he realizes this is his only option to save his daughter, Mark makes the ultimate sacrifice, keeping it a secret from his wife who is told that he died under as the result of an accident.
What the audience learns as does Hale once he inhabits Mark’s body is that Bitwell, too, was similarly the leader of a pack. Instead of possessing business prowess, the young man was a competent military commando who knew more than his fair share about kicking butt, taking names, and dispatching mortal enemies into their own respective afterlives. Granted, the man is a leader of a vastly different variety, but before the story is over it’ll take the blending of their unique subsets of talents to right more than a few wrongs which are part and parcel of the underground consciousness-swapping industry’s manner of doing business.
“A dying real estate mogul transfers his consciousness into a healthy young body but soon finds that neither the procedure nor the company that performed it are quite what they seem.”
Though most folks may’ve missed it, 2015’s Self/Less has this terrific parallel storyline that inevitably makes the film much better than it likely would’ve otherwise been.
Billionaire Damian Hale (played by Bens Kingsley) is about as ruthless as corporate magnate as they come. Having occupied the highest rung in the world of high stakes business for more than a few decades, he can utterly destroy his competition with little more than a snap of his fingers. In fact, the film opens with such a display of his amalgamated power: an up-and-coming young executive finds his career and lifestyle entirely sidetracked over taking a public stance in direct opposition to Hale’s, and he learns of his destruction directly from the aged billionaire and his right-hand man Martin O’Neill (Victor Garber) as they swap more than barbs over coffee in some posh New York restaurant. It’s a quick scene, but it rather eloquently establishes Hale as one not to be trifled with in any measurable way – the quintessential practiced and policed alpha male amongst society’s ruling elite.
In contrast, Mark Bitwell is one of those meat-and-potatoes Americans who has served his country with distinction as a soldier in the military. Having completed his tour of duty, he comes home to discover that his daughter Anna (Jaynee-Lynne Kinchen) is suffering from a life-altering illness. Though he and his wife Madeline (Natalie Martinez) seemingly have nowhere to turn, Bitwell discovers there is a clandestine medical facility which – in exchange for surrendering his body to them for research – will pay for the young girl’s treatment. When he realizes this is his only option to save his daughter, Mark makes the ultimate sacrifice, keeping it a secret from his wife who is told that he died under as the result of an accident.
What the audience learns as does Hale once he inhabits Mark’s body is that Bitwell, too, was similarly the leader of a pack. Instead of possessing business prowess, the young man was a competent military commando who knew more than his fair share about kicking butt, taking names, and dispatching mortal enemies into their own respective afterlives. Granted, the man is a leader of a vastly different variety, but before the story is over it’ll take the blending of their unique subsets of talents to right more than a few wrongs which are part and parcel of the underground consciousness-swapping industry’s manner of doing business.
Rather than deal with its cerebral ideas of which there are several (much less explain how a reported billionaire retained his wealth after such a public clinical death), Self/Less instead becomes a somewhat routine action picture. It quickly sidelines any serious discussion of ethics or moral quandary in favor of fisticuffs, gunplay, and car crashes, and Reynolds proves himself a competent star in the making. Once he’s succumbing to the late stages of cancer, Hale is all-too-happy to consider the prospect of living an all-new life in what he believes is a cloned human body (which is actually Bitwell’s but now renamed as Edward Kidner), and why shouldn’t he? Everything is seemingly available at a price for the rich and powerful, and the impressive Dr. Albright (Matthew Goode) makes a convincing case for improving mankind by granting a kind of immortality to its best thinkers, movers, and shakers. Who among us wouldn’t enjoy such a do-over? The ‘Freaky Friday’ element here is little more than a gimmick that paves the way for the resulting chaos; and – on that level – everything works just fine.
Honestly, Kingsley is in so very little of the picture, so much so that one might wonder what lured him to such a small role in the first place. Spiritually, his presence is alive a bit longer after his fictional death as Reynolds does a pleasant job mimicking Hale’s mannerisms up until Bitwell’s memories start to resurface – at which point it’s clear the Kidner personae that Albright invented for the billionaire was just a ruse. Fortunately, the esteemed actor’s gravitas survives to help the story feel more impactful than it ever truly is.
Perhaps the film’s biggest weakness is that the Pastors’ tie a late-breaking development – it involves precisely who secretly alerted Hale to the prospect of exploring a second life – to the plot in a way that hints at a ‘gotcha’ reveal; and the surprise doesn’t quite work. Arguably, the story might’ve been stronger had this relationship been established at the beginning as it could’ve more easily smoothed over the wrinkles developing over the possibilities of fringe science getting introduced so suspiciously. Also, it could’ve given two very good, very established talents (sorry, won’t spoil it) another layer with which to play with in those fertile early scenes. As it stands, the disclosure feels more like a screenwriter’s convention – the kind that swings open the door with what to creatively do with an otherwise unambitious and predictable third act – but that’s sometimes the price one pays for admission.
Honestly, Kingsley is in so very little of the picture, so much so that one might wonder what lured him to such a small role in the first place. Spiritually, his presence is alive a bit longer after his fictional death as Reynolds does a pleasant job mimicking Hale’s mannerisms up until Bitwell’s memories start to resurface – at which point it’s clear the Kidner personae that Albright invented for the billionaire was just a ruse. Fortunately, the esteemed actor’s gravitas survives to help the story feel more impactful than it ever truly is.
Perhaps the film’s biggest weakness is that the Pastors’ tie a late-breaking development – it involves precisely who secretly alerted Hale to the prospect of exploring a second life – to the plot in a way that hints at a ‘gotcha’ reveal; and the surprise doesn’t quite work. Arguably, the story might’ve been stronger had this relationship been established at the beginning as it could’ve more easily smoothed over the wrinkles developing over the possibilities of fringe science getting introduced so suspiciously. Also, it could’ve given two very good, very established talents (sorry, won’t spoil it) another layer with which to play with in those fertile early scenes. As it stands, the disclosure feels more like a screenwriter’s convention – the kind that swings open the door with what to creatively do with an otherwise unambitious and predictable third act – but that’s sometimes the price one pays for admission.
Interestingly enough, Self/Less failed pretty significantly at the box office. Google.com states that it barely made its reported $26M budget with just under $32M in ticket sales. Sadly, it just never really established itself with patrons as the kind of player either Hale or Bitwell represented as characters. Critics were particularly unimpressed, and the project retains presently a rather low aggregate score of 34 (out of 100) on Metacritic.com. Unsurprisingly (so far as this critic is concerned), it does appear that the picture struck a much more favorable chord with regular folks: IMDB.com shows it with a rather impressive 6.5 (out of 10). This is likely the case as, centrally, it evolves into a relatable good-versus-evil yarn – set against only a backdrop of only fancy-pants Science Fantasy – that casual viewers typically embrace.
Self/Less (2015) was produced by Focus Features, Endgame Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment, and Ram Bergman Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure you that the provided sights-and-sounds are exceptional across the film’s running time. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a director’s commentary along with a few behind-the-scenes shorts for your consumption.
Recommended.
As imperfect as it is in spots, Self/Less is still the kind of guilty pleasure that requires few commitments to consumers who discover its small joys. Granted, there’s really not much in any of it that requires a bit of a stretch for the talent pool (Reynolds excepted) because sometimes that’s just the nature of bigtime mythmaking that’s more about bells and whistles ringing loudly than it is about the nuances of life, the universe, and everything. While the nifty parallels involving two alpha males needing to make peace in a single body gives the flick enough of a slim chance to resonate with audiences only in need of a momentary distraction from their troubles, this one could’ve been something a bit more special had director Singh pushed the boundaries far and wide with some equally intellectual chitchat from characters in search of cosmic self-awareness. Not so much a miss as it is a lost opportunity.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary DVD of Self/Less (2015) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Self/Less (2015) was produced by Focus Features, Endgame Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment, and Ram Bergman Productions. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure you that the provided sights-and-sounds are exceptional across the film’s running time. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts a director’s commentary along with a few behind-the-scenes shorts for your consumption.
Recommended.
As imperfect as it is in spots, Self/Less is still the kind of guilty pleasure that requires few commitments to consumers who discover its small joys. Granted, there’s really not much in any of it that requires a bit of a stretch for the talent pool (Reynolds excepted) because sometimes that’s just the nature of bigtime mythmaking that’s more about bells and whistles ringing loudly than it is about the nuances of life, the universe, and everything. While the nifty parallels involving two alpha males needing to make peace in a single body gives the flick enough of a slim chance to resonate with audiences only in need of a momentary distraction from their troubles, this one could’ve been something a bit more special had director Singh pushed the boundaries far and wide with some equally intellectual chitchat from characters in search of cosmic self-awareness. Not so much a miss as it is a lost opportunity.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary DVD of Self/Less (2015) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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