Transcendence

 TRANSCENDENCE

Director : Wally Pfister
Year : 2014
Genre : Science Fiction
Rating : ***1/2

While I am a fan of cinematographer turned director Wally Pfister as well the filmography of it's stars Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall and Paul Bettany, I did go into 'Transcendence' with a substantial level of trepidation. Over the past few weeks since it's initial opening, the internet has been flooded with the news that 'Transcendence' has fared very, very poorly at the box office, failing to make back even half of it's $100m budget. Not only has the film been met with bad ticket sales but it has also been met with vitriolic and venomous criticism. All across the media world, critics alike are naming 'Transcendence' as one of the absolute worst movies of the year as well as a low point in the now waning career of the once great Johnny Depp. I have now seen the film and I am happy to say that while it is full of problems, 'Transcendence' is not half as bad as all the other reviewers of the world would lead you to believe.

Dr Will Caster (Depp) is a highly respected and world famous authority on artificial intelligence. After conducting a seminar in which he proclaims to hold the key to Transcendence, a hypothetical time when computers will contain so much information that they will become more intelligent than the entire human population, he is shot by a member of a terrorist group who opposed to technology and the the rise of sentient machinery. While the bullet that entered his body may not have seemed to cause much damage, Caster quickly finds out that it was actually laced with a lethal dose of highly radioactive and fast acting plutonium meaning that he does not have very long to live.

To ensure that her husbands memory and intelligence remains intact, Will's wife and partner in technology Evelyn (Hall) uploads his consciousness to a highly advanced quantum super computer. However, a fellow scientist and friend Max (Bettany) immediately feels concern and worry when he comes to believe that the computers intelligence is not Wills at all but rather the circuitry and hard drives of the machine itself. As Wills intelligence dramatically increases when he is hooked up to the internet, even Evelyn begins to have doubts over the motivations of what she believes is her husband and soon she and the rest of the scientific world find themselves at the mercy of the omniscient and super intelligent computer that Wills psyche and mind has called it's home.

Much like the superior science fiction films from four or five decades ago such as '2001 : A Space Odyssey', 'Blade Runner', 'Silent Running', 'Soylent Green' and 'Logan's Run', 'Transcendence' is a picture led by ideas. This is not at all surprising as it's director, the great cinematographer and Academy Award winner Wally Pfister has lent his extraordinary visual eye to some of the most beloved and highly respected science fiction films of the past ten years such as 'Memento', 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight' trilogy; all of which were directed by the masterful Christopher Nolan. Now Pfister has taken the step up from director of photography to director and it is clear watching 'Transcendence' that the spirit of Nolan (who serves as an executive producer) is deeply embedded into the narrative as it's story is much more intellectual and erudite than the traditional Spring blockbuster. Covering ideologies ranging from our reliance on technology to the loss of humanity as computers become smarter, 'Transcendence' explores a subject that is not usually explored in traditional multiplex fare. However, while this certainly helps to give 'Transcendence' an edge that is sadly lacking in today's science fiction films, it also proves to be it's biggest weakness.

For a movie exploring the very interesting concept of singularity and the ways in which technology now engulfs every aspect of our existences, 'Transcendence' feels surprisingly hollow. While it has ideas that are certainly involving and very, very thought provoking, it's weak screenplay and lack of any major characterisation sadly take us out of what is already a very slow paced and overly long movie. There were many moments throughout my screening of 'Transcendence' where I did find myself checking the time and generally daydreaming and this wasn't due to bad performances or a lack of interesting visuals but simply just from the fact that not very much was happening during the second reel.

While many critics have complained about the weakness of the story and the bloated production costs, their main bone of contention is with the central performance from Johnny Depp. Now, I will be the first person to stick up for Depp as he is one of my all time favourite actors thanks to his astonishing performances in films such as 'Ed Wood', 'Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas', 'Finding Neverland', 'Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street' and of course, 'Edward Scissorhands'. However, I will also be the first to admit that his reputation has certainly dropped over the past few years due to his awful performances in films such as 'Pirates Of The Caribbean 4 : On Stranger Tides', 'The Lone Ranger' and 'Dark Shadows', all of which were both critical and commercial flops. While not really given much chance to showcase his uniquely quirky and offbeat acting style in 'Transcendence', he gives a perfectly adequate performance as a man who is desperate to discover the ultimate apotheosis of the technology that has led our lives for the past six decades or so. Surprisingly for a star of his calibre, Depp isn't really in the film for very long. Instead we have Rebecca Hall and Paul Bettany to take up the mantle and I must say, they do a pretty damn good job.

Best known for her roles in 'Vicky Christina Barcelona','Frost/Nixon', 'Iron Man 3' and 'The Prestige', Rebecca Hall is a British actress of great talent and even greater integrity; an actress who can make the absolute best of a role, now matter how big or small it may be. And this is most certainly the case with 'Transcendence'. Playing a woman who is simultaneously desperate to keep the memory of her husband alive but also terrified of what her radical decision could mean for the world, Hall delivers a performance that is at the same time heartfelt, strong and believable. Acting alongside her is the always watchable Paul Bettany who while not given as much screen time as Hall is also terrific as a man who is an advocate of computer science but a skeptic of singularity and the titular Transcendence. As well as Depp, Hall and Bettany, we have Nolan regulars Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy who don't really do much for the story and only serve to headline posters and DVD cases but give strong performances nonetheless.

Having watched 'Transcendence', I truly believe that it has failed both commercially and critically due to the fatal combination of a bloated budget, a story and ideology that is far more cerebral than the average Spring/Summer blockbuster and a terribly put together and misleading trailer that touts the film as an apocalyptic, explosion filled science fiction thriller rather than a verbose and cultivated drama led by a science fiction sheen. Johnny Depp isn't to blame for the failure of 'Transcendence' and neither is the directorial talent of Wally Pfister. It has come to nothing due to errors in the marketing and promotion of the picture. If you are a fan of the more provocative science fiction films of the 1970's and 1980's or the various movies of Christopher Nolan, especially 'Inception', then give 'Transcendence' a chance. It is far better than the critics of the world say it is and I do truly believe that it will not be too long before it is re-evaluated as a much more interesting and thought provoking piece of cinema.