Film Diary 2014: Transcendence

Plot-wise the film owes a huge debt to the writings of Pat Cadigan and William Gibson. It follows two scientists, Will and Evelyn (Johnny Depp and Rebecca Hall), partners in work and marriage. Working on a highly advanced A.I. programme called PINN that Will hopes will help us have a greater understanding of the world.

Meanwhile, a group of extreme anti-technoloyg activisits going under the name RIFT trigger a series of attacks on computer laboratories, culminating on an assassination attempt on Will. Whilst he survives the shooting, the bullet had been deliberately contaminated with radiation and Will is given a month to live.

Pushed to despair, Evelyn suggests that they upload Will's consciousness, creating an exact duplicate of his brain using the system that runs PINN. Will agrees, and fellow scientist Max (Paul Bettany) assists. Once Will passes on they switch on the computer and a information-hungry artificial Will begins amassing power and resources to continue working.

The most obvious problem with this film is that it fails to offer any kind of emotional engagement with anyone or anything that is going on. Firstly Will's reputation as a brilliant scientist is supposed to be taken for granted, there is nothing here to allow us to invest in his "genius", and Depp's detached, uncommitted performance is of no help. Whilst the great love he shares with Evelyn is something we're also supposed to conjure from our own imaginations, with the pair hardly getting a chance to develop their characters in amongst the dull trudge of the plot clunking into action.

Characters who are meant to be the best and brightest deliberately fail to discuss, debate, rationalise or even really care about anything that's going on, which makes it impossible for an audience to empathise. Furthermore, everyone is so stripped of personality that it just feels like we're watching the actors rather than whoever they're supposed to "be".

As the plot shuffles on towards its inevitable showdowns the film does nothing to earn the leaps of faith the audience has to take, rendering some of the twists and turns downright laughable.

The film does, on a very basic level, have a neat reversion of a stock sci-fi idea at it's heart, one that the film downplays a considerable amount. However, a few sledgehammer blows would have helped the picture have any kind of resonance. As it is, this is a dreary, superficial shambles.

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