By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 2.5 cats
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Bruno Lastra | Christopher Simpson | Jeanne Balibar | Nina Fog | Om Puri | Samantha Morton | Tim Robbins | Togo Igawa
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2004
Running time: 92
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0345061/combined
Bruce says: “The prolific Michael Winterbottom (BUTTERFLY KISS, JUDE, WELCOME TO SARAJEVO, WONDERLAND, 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE and IN THIS WORLD) could never be accused of making the same film twice. Each of his works is very different from the others. For CODE 46 Winterbottom attempts a venture into sci-fi. To create his vision of the future he uses
locations in London, Dubai, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Rajasthan. The overall effect of his decision to use real locations rather than create a digital future or film using a studio set is the most interesting part of CODE 46.
“The story is very simple, in fact too simple. The world of the future is divided into two worlds; the Inside and the Outside. Tim Robbins is William, a futuristic detective who is sent from Seattle to the Far East to investigate how passes are being smuggled to allow people to illegally move from one world to the other. While investigating workers at a factory who have access to the passes, he meets and falls in love with Maria Gonzales (Samantha Morton). She happens to be one of the suspects.
“The film’s title refers to a rule of this future society involving reproduction. No two people can procreate if their DNA is a 100%, 50% or 25% match. To do so knowingly is a criminal offense. To do so without knowledge results in immediate abortion and memory erasure of the coital details. Needless to say, after reading the text of Code 46 in the opening scene, the viewer knows where the film is going long before William and Maria can figure things out.
“Robbins and Morton have little chemistry. Whether this is an unfortunate accident along the lines of SEX IS COMEDY or whether it was purposely meant to depict liaisons of the future is unclear. Morton who has amply demonstrated her earthy qualities on screen is unconvincing as a woman a man might obsess over. 2.5 cats”