The Final Cut (2004)

Director:

Omar Naim

Writer:

Omar Naim (written by)

Release Date:

11 November 2004 (Australia)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Every moment of your life recorded. Would you live it differently?

Plot:

Set in a world with memory implants, Robin Williams plays a cutter, someone with the power of final edit over people's recorded histories. His latest assignment is one that puts him in danger.

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Microchip | Implant | Slap | Rabbit's Foot

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Alan Hakman
Mira Sorvino	...	Delila
James Caviezel	...	Fletcher (as Jim Caviezel)
Mimi Kuzyk	...	Thelma
Stephanie Romanov	...	Jennifer Bannister
Thom Bishops	...	Hasan
Genevieve Buechner	...	Isabel Bannister
Brendan Fletcher	...	Michael
Vincent Gale	...	Simon
Casey Dubois	...	Young Alan - 9
Liam Ranger	...	Young Louis - 9
Joely Collins	...	Legz the Tattoo Artist
Michael St. John Smith	...	Charles Bannister
Christopher Britton	...	Jason Monroe (as Chris Britton)
Wanda Cannon	...	Caroline Monroe

Also Known As:

The final Cut - Dein Tod ist erst der Anfang (Germany) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, some violence, sexuality and language.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA | Canada | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Taiwan:PG-12 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-11 | Norway:15 | Iceland:12 | Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIA | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Lions Gate Entertainment

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: When Bannister takes his daughter into his study, he closes the door. The visual record is shot along the length of his arm, so either his eyes are in the middle of his chest, of the camera was shooting from too low.

Quotes:

Alan Hakman: [dying words] Will you look at that?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Benchwarmers (2006)

Soundtrack:

Bye Bye

Intriguing premise; well constructed

The idea of having every single event of your life secretly taped by a device surgically implanted before birth makes for an intriguing premise. The story presents a "what if" study of just what dirty laundry might turn up on such tapes of your life, where anyone could see it. Not only would it give pause to anyone who had such an implant, but everyone who ever interacted with another human would wonder if their every action is being taped.

The title refers to a "Cutter," a person who reviews such tapes, and edits them for a presentation at a person's funeral. Because cutters routinely see horrifying images of a person's darker side, they have a strict code of ethics not to betray things they have seen. Robin Williams as Alan Hakman, (love that character name for a man that does cutting!) is a great strength of this movie. Williams has proved himself more than capable in roles like this, and is very believable as a man faced with a myriad of ethical questions, even a personal demon that emerges through one of the tapes. His supporting cast is excellent as well; Jim Caviezel is dynamic as his shadowy opposite and ethical antagonist.

For obvious reasons, the movie anchors its strength on a number of flashbacks; which are all constructive in their own way. The arguments against loss of privacy are eloquent; the film somehow brutally logical and delicately emotional at the same time. Several back stories and subplots are all inter-connected, as the film wends its way to a poignant and surprising resolution. Some weaknesses of note: setting the movie in the present, which means the footage of an 82-year old man is from a device implanted in the early 1920's? Even though the story is meant to be sci-fi/fantasy speculation, perhaps setting it in the near-future would have been better. Also, some of the descriptions of the technology, its limitations and dangers are not consistent.

In short, it's both an intelligent and interesting story, which explores its central idea from several angles. A fine cast with superior direction make this movie a good watch, which will have you thinking about its message afterward.