Weekly Review -- Mind's journeys

Transcendence (2014) -- Ever since the 1980s, cinema has been buzzing with works concerning artificial intelligence. Was it the end of the Cold War and a worry that our own inventions might provoke the next great conflict between the major world powers? WarGames and The Terminator both handled these themes, the former with more dramatic flair and the latter with a wallop of science fiction. Was it the advent of the 21st century and a fear that machines might threaten and ultimately end humanity (note -- we do not need machines for that)? The Matrix and I, Robot pondered these ideas through juxtapositions of sterile futuristic environments and human frailty. Cinematographer and first-time director Wally Pfister's Transcendence comes on the heels of these and other films and, while boasting a fantastic concept, it fails to fulfill its potential.    

Leading A.I. researcher Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp) and his wife and partner Dr. Evelyn Caster (Rebecca Hall) have been working on a technology that would revolutionize artificial intelligence and eventually give it awareness. When a radical anti-technology group poisons Will, a grief-stricken Evelyn is unable to let go and decides to upload his consciousness into their system. Of course, such a drastic development does not come without consequences...

The most intriguing question that Transcendence poses in terms of narrative is the identity of its villain. Even though the trailer suggests that Will is the main force of evil, I would like to propose the argument that the villain of the piece is Evelyn. Threading a fine line between agony and mania, she does not realize that she has become as fanatical as the group that had attacked Will. Yes, we understand in the beginning that she would do anything to keep the love of her life. Yes, we know that it is unfair how Will's life has been cut short in such a brutal way, yet Evelyn forgets one of the main rules of being human -- one is simply not able to do things for the sake of their own happiness and at the cost of other people's well being. In a way, Evelyn proves to be less in touch with humanity than her and Will's system is.

The problem with the film and the likely reason for its failure at the box office are the screenplay's implausibilities. There are too many holes in the script, some of which cannot even be rationalized through suspension of disbelief. The ridiculous second act is particularly culpable. How come no one, especially fellow scientists, hears of this "project" for years? Why does no one question Evelyn's non-existent ethics or contact the authorities about what she has single-handedly done? We are looking at a hundred charges here, including kidnapping, murder and who knows how many more related to cyber crime. Still, the biggest plot hole of all is: if Will is online, how come no one out of billions of Internet users notices something amiss? All that money stolen from a bank and not a peep from anyone? If real-life elements are interwoven with a fictional environment, their logic must be adhered to at least enough to justify the fiction. I do wish that the film had been better thought out, because its topic is fascinating. Finally, I cannot let this go without mentioning the worst line in recent memory, "We're not gonna fight them. We're gonna transcend them." Flashy lines that look good on paper almost always only look good on paper. Just... no.

And the cast... talk about terrific and wasted at the same time. Depp is engaging as ever and Hall is one of the most expressive actors working today. The problem is, there is barely any chemistry between the pair. Our understanding of their deep connection is perpetually on the cusp of believing; their loss never grabs us and pulls us in. We do not get to invest in it. If you want a truly tragic love story -- this one in the guise of horror -- please watch David Cronenberg's 1986 The Fly remake for the sake of all things cinematic. But I digress. Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy are barely given anything to do, except look stunned at one digital defeat after another. Paul Bettany manages to make Will and Evelyn's friend Max the moral compass of the story, but even he seems confused by the half-baked writing. R.I.F.T., the terrorist group that had murdered Will, come off as whiny rather than menacing and so does their leader, Bree, played by the usually solid Kate Mara. All of the actions by all of the characters feel ill-conceived, as though everyone is waiting for a development that never materializes. Assembling a cast this reputable and not letting them shine is the real tragedy of the film.

Transcendence is one of those films that you wait for with bated breath, then see it and immediately move on to something that actually delivers on its promise. It is not terrible by any means, but it could have been a lot more. It could have been debate fodder, it could have been controversial, it could have had depth. Instead, it leaves the viewer shrugging and wondering what was missing. Ironically, with all of its big talk about life, death, intelligence and emotion, the film is incapable of affecting the audience and incapable of transcending its own neutrality, proving that there is nothing quite like a missed opportunity. 

6/10