| Title: |
Impostor ( ) |
| Release Date: |
2002 |
| Rec. Create date: |
2004 0904 |
| Rec. Rev date: |
2005 0203 |
| Starring: |
Gary Sinese; Tony Shaloub; Madeline Stowe |
| Summary: |
Based on a Philip K. Dick story of the same name, this film
depicts an Earth twenty years into a losing war with the planet
Alpha Centauri.
A respected scientist and weapons designer, Spenser Olam (Sinese),
shows up to work one day only to be detained by security agents.
It seems that the Centauri have been sneaking infiltrators into
Earth's cities by constructing biological duplicates, each equipped
with
the dreaded "U-bonb". Earth Security has reason to believe that
Olam has been replaced and that the "person" in custody is actually
a
Centauri replicant bomb. Olam of course knows differently and must
evade the security until he can prove his innocence.
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| Reasons for Recommendation: |
OK, the storyline sounds a little trite or even hokey.
But this is Phillip K. Dick we're talking about, so you know it's
going to be at least a little twisted. This is perhaps the best adaptation
of a Dick story yet. (Only Minority Report gives it a run
for the money -- and yes, I know everyone thinks Blade Runner should
have that title.) The scriptwriter takes Dick and his paranoia seriously
and doesn't wimp out. The ending, while somewhat different from the
story, is clearly something of which the author would approve. |
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Not that the movie is perfect. Madeline Stowe is less
than impressive as the scientist's wife, herself an accomplished
surgeon. Also, the scriptwriters and director wimp out a little and
add a human sidebar, an underground thug with a heart of gold. I
suppose the point is to give the audience someone to root for and
to "redeem" the ending. |
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But mostly, this movie gets it right. The future world
is a tad undeveloped but reasonably plausible. Sinese gives a good
chase, and his Olam is both breathtakingly competent and heartbreakingly
real. One really gets a sense of the character's dislocation and
confusion; even the affects of adrenaline poisoning come through.
The director is 98% able to avoid flinching, telling a hard tale
and letting the implications fall where they may. Unlike, say, Screamers or,
heaven help us, Total Recall, this is a taut thriller of
which Dick could be proud. |
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