Surrogates, the Bruce Willis movie, disappeared quickly but it was better than I expected, a B- (perhaps they should have called it Avatars). Worth a Netflix rental if you enjoy science fiction. Having said that, what I most liked about Surrogates was that it's clear exactly where it went wrong. What follows has no spoilers but it won't make a lot of sense unless you have seen the movie.
In the final second of the climax the key choice of the hero is revealed, even though the plot in no way requires this revelation. It would have been far better to have left the choice ambiguous (think Doubt, Memento and, of course, Blade Runner). Indeed, the script should have been written backwards from the ambiguous choice to all the earlier scenes which justify that ambiguity. (Some of this material is already in the movie but without the ambiguity of the choice it doesn't resonate, e.g. surrogacy would have saved the son but from early on the Willis character is skeptical of surrogacy thus the character's history provides a reason for him to be world weary but it doesn't drive tension as it should.)
The movie should also have been darker (bizarrely, many scenes take place in brightly lit exteriors). The best scene is the surrogate "drug" party where the noir element of surface and underlying reality–of things not being what they seem–does come through. Inexplicably, however, the wife does not partake even though we later learn this would have mirrored her true existence.
For the choices not taken, Surrogates would be a excellent movie to study in film school.
I’d love to sit in on the Hollywood studio meetings where they pitch/decide these movies. Here’s how I imagine it goes:
Studio exec: Ok, we need a real creative, innovative novel movie idea here.
Producer: Well, how about this: A movie about robots and how they help out in every day life something in the future. Only here’s the catch… get this, the Robots turn on the humans!
Studio exec: Brilliant! Nobody has ever made a movie about that!
As I watched, I thought it was loosely based on David Brin’s Kiln People. But perhaps not.
agreed surrogates was better than expected. it also raised some interesting economic issues, because (unlike VR films) even if you were rich enough to own a surrogate, you still had to pay for it to get about, do things (e.g., you couldn’t really maximize the benefit of having a surrogate to take on the risk of skydiving or extreme snowboard in AK if you couldn’t also pay for the trip for the surrogate to AK). but i think surrogates didn’t accurately capture the economics of a world with surrogates, even if i’m not quite sure why, because it didn’t make much sense to me that people would use surrogates to (e.g.) provide mani/pedis, as in the film, rather than use surrogates for high risk/high reward work. of course, if everyone owns surrogates, which the film suggested, maybe nothing changes. but then why do surrogates did mani/pedis? that is, in surrogate world, there wouldn’t be any more cosmetics, gyms, etc., along with a whole host of other things that would change in ways i can’t imagine.
How was Memento ambiguous? I know it worked backward, but at the end you understood everything.
The emotions of the movie are basically:
“Huh…that one difference to the world opens up a lot of interesting thoughts. I wonder how that would effect the…..Oh wait…nevermind….they gotta destroy them all. Goodbye interest thoughts. It was nice knowing you. Maybe I’ll have you again after I sit through the 2nd hour of this now utterly pointless and boring movie.
Even as I watched it, I kept thinking, “someone should remake this the right way.”
I really like how, on the commercials for this DVD, they omit any mention of it being Sci-Fi and just have some quick cuts and Bruce Willis growling ” we’ve got to get that weapon back! ” then it cuts to the ” buy it at walmart now! ” bit..
Some interiors in this movie where shot in the building where I work. They digitally altered things a bit, I believe, but it’s instantly recognizable. The building’s interior is rather odd-looking to start with, so I’m sure that helped.
Was honored to see such a good article!
It’s very useful and easy, ideas are super.
I love Bruce Willis movies. Bring on more!
Thank you for providing the perspective. I just read a part of the article, so I don’t know much what to say. Good luck for the new member!
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