Possible Worlds (2000)

A man lives in parallel worlds, falling in love with the same woman, while the police hunt down a serial killer who steals brains.

Director:

Robert Lepage

Writers:

John Mighton (play), John Mighton (screenplay)

Stars:

Tilda Swinton, Tom McCamus, Sean McCann

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tilda Swinton	...	Joyce
Tom McCamus	...	George Barber
Sean McCann	...	Inspector Berkley
Gabriel Gascon	...	Kleber / Doctor
Rick Miller	...	Williams
Griffith Brewer	...	Caretaker
Daniel Brooks	...	Bob
Steve Adams	...	First Interviewer
Russell Yuen	...	Police Officer
Mariah Inger	...	Johnson
Laurent Imbault	...	Darkroom Technician
Lisa Bronwyn Moore	...	Second Interviewer
Eric Hoziel	...	Axxon Security
Simon Lee	...	No-Nose Man
Clément Cormier	...	Housekeeper

Storyline

George and Joyce lead parallel lives in alternate worlds. In each of those lives, George embarks on a relationship with Joyce, sometimes more successfully than others. George also becomes increasingly aware of his alternate lives, not only of Joyce in each of them, but what he carries of himself between each of those lives. In one of those lives, he is the most recent homicide victim in a rash of B&E's. In his case, he is the first victim where nothing of monetary value has been stolen, but only his brain removed from his skull and taken from the crime scene. The lead police investigators, Inspector Berkley and Detective Williams, although sometimes at odds with each other, eventually come to the conclusion that the murder has something to do with brain research, and that George may have been targeted rather than a random victim. In addition to Berkley and Williams' investigation and discovering the identity of the murderer, the alternate question becomes how this situation fits in ...

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Plot Keywords:

multiverse | dream world | surrealism | police | brain | 

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Genres:

Mystery | Sci-Fi | Crime | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The first English-language movie for Quebec director Robert Lepage.

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Goofs

When George and Joyce are lying together on the beach, they are closer to the rocks on their right side earlier in the scene than they are later in the scene.

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Quotes

George Barber: Well i could hardly say I have a memory Doctor.
Kleber: Why not?
George Barber: Well it would be more accurate to say that... in the collection of people that I call me, a memory occurs

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Connections

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004)

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Soundtracks

The Nest That Sailed The Sky
Written by Peter Gabriel

User Reviews

The Matrix for a more thoughtful crowd

You will know in the first ten minutes if this film is for you or not. Possible Worlds explores themes of the mind in a science-fiction setting. A man seems all knowing at the start of the film, and impresses his interviewers by quickly calculating the solution to several complex problems posed to him, all without a calculator. Later we find out he is not super intelligent, but retains memories from all his other selves in parallel universes. I suppose at least one of his alternate selves must have gone through the interview already, so he just pulls on that memory.

He also explores a relationship with the same woman, who is strikingly different in each of the parallel worlds. In one, she is loving and compassionate, in another scattered and distant. The story is never showy, gimmicky, or clichéd, unlike what we have come to expect from Hollywood.

Visually, there are not many films better than this. Each scene is so beautiful it's almost as though every inch of the scene was meticulously composed by hand. Some scenes lingered without dialogue, and I wanted them to stay longer just so I could appreciate the scene more. The film leaves a definite mood long after the credits end.

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 2001 (UK)

Also Known As:

Lehetséges világok

Filming Locations:

Magdelen Islands, Québec, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

In Extremis Images, The East Side Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color