2017
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
I am at the mercy of my Amazon Subscriptions, as I am picking out what movies to watch based on what's available for free. This would definitely not have been a top pick for me. Personally, I like my science fiction to come with a little humor, Douglas Adams- or C3P0 -style, otherwise I find it rather dull. Now I fully recognize that this is simply a matter of taste, and I resolved to be as objective as possible with this film. But sweet Jesus, it was 164 minutes.
Ryan Gosling plays K, a replicant tasked with "retiring" older models. He discovers a box on one of his missions that contains the remains of a replicant who died during a c section, thus proving that replicants can reproduce. K is ordered to kill the child to hide the truth. K also has a special sweetheart, a la the movie Her. A movie I haven't seen yet, but imagine is quite superior to this.
I will spare you my unabridged rant on the endless remakes and reboots that Hollywood is hellbent on pursuing, but suffice to say, I saw no real reason for this story. I suppose the effects are better, but just like the original Blade Runner, it was a total snoozefest, with boring, handsome actors looking grim for hours. I would guess the running time is exceptionally long because every character takes a dramatic pause before they speak. I suppose this is a way of giving weight to dialogue that is supposed to be mindblowing but is actually rather mundane.
Just totally unnecessary. Harrison, man. Have a some self respect. You're not a mascot.
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Because his character was blind, Jared Leto wore opaque contact lenses. So I guess he is pretty bad at acting then? God, that guy is obnoxious.
A much longer take of the Pale Fire scene was filmed, where Gosling read out loud an eight minute staccato dialogue, but it was cut. Oh thank Zeus.
