Trailerblazing -- Transcendence

Transcendence -- April 18, 2014 -- directed by Wally Pfister -- starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy

The directorial debut of Christopher Nolan's longtime cinematographer Pfister appears to be a chip off the old block as far as Nolan's -- here in the role of executive producer -- influence goes. Technology as a philosophical hot point? Check. Sparse set design? Check. Freeman and Murphy? Check. Pure awesomeness waiting to pop up at you in IMAX? Check! We do seemingly get stronger female characters than in Nolan's films, with Hall's Evelyn being presented as the soul of the story. Depp does well with ambiguous roles -- just check out Secret Window -- and seeing him in Nolan and Pfister's realm is a much awaited cinematic feat. I am also looking forward to seeing what Mara does, since I was pleasantly surprised by her range and sense of nuance on "American Horror Story". On another note, I am happy to see first-time screenwriter Jack Paglen doing this well with his script. We are in dire need of original stories and diverse voices, so hopefully the success of this film inspires studios to seek out new works. Transcendence looks like an intriguing piece to see and ponder. April cannot come soon enough.