Transcendence

By Richard Schmidt


“Off the Wall, Out of the Middle” is a segment that focuses on a movie that has been recently released on home video, pairing it with a movie that was released at least five years earlier. Why five years? Because arbitrary rules give me a false sense of control.

OFF THE WALL: “TRANSCENDENCE” (2014)

My "Off the Wall" movie this week is the directorial debut of respected cinematographer Wally Pfister. It stars Johnny Depp as Will Caster, a brilliant computer scientist who is developing artificial intelligence. He begins the movie at a conference, speaking about the singularity, where computers will surpass humans as the preeminent intelligence on the planet. He works with his wife, Evelyn (played by Rebecca Hall), his best friend Max (Paul Bettany), and Joseph (Morgan Freeman), who coin the term “transcendence” to describe the singularity. At the conference, Will is attacked by an anti-technology terrorist, who shoots him with a polonium-laced bullet, dooming him to die from radiation poisoning. Before he dies, Evelyn and Max upload Will's consciousness into a computer, creating the first transcendence. As the computer evolves at an exponential rate, they become less convinced that Caster's humanity survived the upload and more fearful of the dangers it poses to the human race.

We have a great setup. We have a strong cast, which also includes Kate Mara and Cillian Murphy. We have an intriguing filmmaker in Wally Pfister, who has worked with Christopher Nolan for years. The only thing we are lacking is an interesting film.

The main problem with the film is that it introduces great ideas, but has no idea what to do with them. Evelyn is unable to accept the premature loss of her husband, leading to the hasty decision to upload his consciousness. Instead of exploring the theme of our fear of mortality, it is used as a device to initiate the plot and then dropped The unbridled intellectual evolution of the computer brings about great advances in nanotechnology. The film is content to take this to ridiculous extremes, with invincible humans and self-repairing objects. Since these extremes make this a foe without weaknesses, it undercuts the climax of the film by reducing the stakes and forcing it to rely upon contrivances to bring about a resolution. It feels as though this film would have benefited from a few more re-writes to develop some of these ideas into a more compelling narrative.

The script also fails to develop its characters, using them mostly as devices to advance the plot. We are told of the connection between Evelyn and Will, but the film doesn't do the work to convince us that this is the case. Max serves only as a half-hearted counterpoint to Evelyn's determination to upload Will, as well as the convenient creator of a computer virus to try to stop Caster's computer. Cillian Murphy's FBI agent serves only as a proxy for the audience, so that the film can explain much of the technology. I'm still unsure why Morgan Freeman is in this film at all, beyond the fact that he is always a pleasure to see on the screen.

On the positive side, the film looks great. There is an unsettling sterility to the underground lab that houses Evelyn and the computerized Johnny Depp. There are some interesting special effects, as the solar panels repair themselves after an attack by the terrorists. You can see the technical aptitude of Pfister transitioning from DP to the director's chair. Unfortunately, there is still work to be done from him on the story-front. Even though I was disappointed by this film, I am still interested to see his next directorial effort. I just hope that he is able to team up with a more experienced storyteller and a more completely-developed script.

Side note: This is the second movie that stars Johnny Depp as a man that is shot and doomed to die, but not right away. In Jim Jarmusch's “Dead Man” (1995), Depp also is shot and unable to be saved, serving as a dead man walking in the film. For my money, a much better movie that featured Depp at a time when he was at the top of his acting game.

Like to know what you're getting into? Check out the trailer for "Transcendence." And since I'm such a nice guy, here's the trailer for "Dead Man" as well.

OUT OF THE MIDDLE: “CACHE” (2005)

Michael Haneke's film centers on a couple who are sent anonymous videotapes of the exterior of their home. This causes an examination of their lives, as they must confront the secrets that have been buried in the husband's past that may provide a clue as to the source of the tapes.

This opening shot of the outside of the residence, which is static and seems to be a still photo for a long time, is revealed to be a video recording as we finally see pedestrians crossing the frame several minutes into the shot. This patience for the shot to develop creates an unease, not only because of our modern impatience, but because we unwittingly become voyeurs to this private residence. The measured nature of this film is spelled out in the opening scene, as layers of the narrative are allowed to unfold in a deliberate fashion as the movie continues. It does not spoon-feed the narrative and characters to the audience, forcing the viewer to bring some effort to the viewing experience.

Unlike “Transcendence,” this is not a film explicitly about technophobia. But it uses the ability of technology to watch us constantly without our knowledge to explore deeper themes of privacy, guilt, and the image of ourselves that we present to the world. The use of technology is subtle and unsettling, putting the audience in the shoes of the protagonist, forcing us to consider our own day-to-day lives and the consequences of the secrets that we keep. It creates an air of paranoia that many technophobia films attempt, but few are able to successfully execute.

It serves as a nice counterpoint to “Transcendence,” which seems to dance around its themes, focusing instead on a somewhat bloated narrative. “Cache” focuses on mood and character, hardly concerning itself with much of a plot. The result is a powerful film that stays with the viewer long after the film concludes. On the other hand, I feel that I will forget much of “Transcendence” when another technophobia film inevitably hits the big screens.

Note: Make sure to watch “Cache” through the credits, as there is a final shot that may add more layers to the film and cause a different perspective upon a re-watch.

Last, but not least, here is the trailer for "Cache."