Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Transcendence
2014
***
Director: Wally Pfister
Cast: Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman, Cliff Collins, Jr., Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, Cole Hauser, Xander Berkeley

A scientist couple Will and Evelyn Caster are on the brink of developing a sentient computer, when Will is poisoned by anti-technology extremists. Just before he dies, Evelyn uploads Will's consciousness to a computer and connects it to the Internet. Cinematographer Wally Pfister's directorial debut is a stylish and thoughtful science fiction film, which is easier to admire than to like. What his debut, adapted from Jack Paglen's much-hyped original screenplay, lacks in action and proper characterisation, it makes up for in smarts. Although the story takes the occasional dumb or melodramatic turn, it remains consistently intriguing and ambivalent. Who is on the side of good here? Is it the artificial intelligence that wants to control everything or the terrorists who see the same machine as a no-turn-around point for humanity?