Saturday, 31st of December, 2005

Looking at someone else’s films-seen-in-2005 list, I recalled that I too saw Code 46 in 2005, with Angela. We both enjoyed it, which is interesting because Ange doesn’t generally like science fiction and thinks she doesn’t like Blade Runner in fact (to which Code 46 does bear some comparison, although Gattaca is probably closer) (but I think Ange would probably quite like Blade Runner these days.

Anyway, what struck me most strongly about this film, with its slow, slow pacing and very understated performance from Tim Robbins (and an amazing and not-at-all-understated performance from Samantha Morton) was that it’s practically the only film I’ve ever seen which approaches what you could call “hard sf for film”. Sure, there are some unlikely elements - lots. But it’s a thoughtfully and very deeply realised future, and is thoughtful about its use of science.
There’s a wonderful scene in a clinic which Tim Robbins’s character visits, seeking Samantha Morton’s character; he tries a trick that he uses with people to get them on side, using drug-enhanced (or implant-enhanced?) intuition to find out facts about them from tell-tale physical movements/reactions. But this clinic has introduced an aerosol into their environment to counteract just the sort of ability-enhancements of people like him, one of a couple of scenes in the movie where we are reminded how the world really works.

Matt Cheney’s review has more, much of what I agree with. I was interested though, looking at the IMDB link above, that in fact most of the comments there are overwhelmingly positive. When I saw it, I then thoroughly depressed myself by reading lots of moronic Americans complaining about it on the web. So yeah, if you’re looking for gunfights and explosions, cardboard characters saving the world, and if you dislike being immersed in a world which only slowly reveals and explains itself to you, maybe give it a miss.

One Response to “Code 46”

1. Claire says:
   January 1st, 2006 at 3:33 am

   Thanks for bringing this film to my attention! We missed it when it came out (probably because we live in the wasteland surrounding Los Angeles now), but it sounds very good.