Thriller Contemplates Immortality
When successful architect Damian (Ben Kingsley) is diagnosed with cancer, a mysterious company approaches him about an alternative treatment that will place his consciousness inside the body of a young, healthy man (Ryan Reynolds). Things go well for Damian at first, but soon, he realizes that his new body isn’t actually new at all, and that he’s living inside of a man who used to have a life of his own. This sci-fi thriller certainly sounds interesting in concept — but we’re not sure how we feel about the execution, or about Reynolds. Self/Less opens in wide release July 10.
JAIMIE: Am I the only one who felt like this trailer went on forever? And ever? … A big ‘ole MEH from me on this film. Ryan Reynolds has not been a favorite of mine lately — I’m beginning to feel the urge to punch him.
NICOLE: Do you keep your memories AND assume the memories of the body that you’re now inhabiting? Is that what’s happening in this movie? Do you have to kill the person whose body you take over? Why don’t you care where the body comes from?
PAIGE: I like the idea of this movie, but I feel like it can only possibly end one way (unless we’re going down the dark dystopian everyone-loses route): with Ben Kingsley’s consciousness realizing he has to let himself die for the sake of Ryan Reynolds. You come to terms with death, there is happiness with a kind-of catch … Or, both of them die, since it seems Ryan Reynolds was dead from the beginning, but only after destroying this company because you can’t cheat death.
JAMES: I think you’ve nailed it, Paige. Kingsley is going to have to let Reynolds live. There may be a montage of things that he did while he was alive, then he’ll slip away. But I feel it should be Reynolds slipping away. Why put a good actor into the body of an [EXPLETIVE] actor?
CHRISTINA: I agree it does seem like he will die and Reynolds will live. Although, that doesn’t quite seem like a good idea if Reynolds was already dead — we all know how bringing people back from the dead works out in movies.
PAIGE: I got really excited that Matthew Goode seems to be the villain here. He has such a posh voice. And he’s so cool and composed all the time … In other news, I also hate Ryan Reynolds, so I probably wouldn’t be able to overcome that to watch this movie, even for Matthew Goode.
CHRISTINA: I just looked up Ryan Reynolds because I was curious how he got his start — and it turns out he did a guest spot on The X-Files.
JAMES: Ryan Reynolds got his start in this teen soap opera called Fifteen on Nickelodeon. He played an alcoholic 15-year-old.
JAIMIE: Why do you know this, James?
JAMES: I remember seeing this one day thinking it was a Saved by the Bell ripoff. But it was this teary, depressing, downbeat soap opera. And it all revolved around this alcoholic kid.
CHRISTINA: I think this movie is going to lack tension — because it already seems so cut and dry just from the trailer. Like, we all already know what the right decision is going to be. Matthew Goode is so obviously the bad guy, and everything his company is doing comes off as evil. I think it would be more interesting if there was more of a moral gray area.
NICOLE: Killing people as meat suits for the old and wealthy? That’s super messed up. But, if I were old and wealthy, I would want a 20 or 30-something-year-old body for my meat suit.
