Self/less *** (2015, Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley, Victor Garber) – Movie Review

Ben Kingsley stars (all too briefly) as elderly Damian, a cancer-stricken dying American real estate mogul who learns of a process called ‘shedding’. He transfers his consciousness into a healthy body of a decades younger man, with the help of silkily sinister doctor Matthew Goode. When he wakes up after the procedure, that man turns out to be Ryan Reynolds. So that’s nice.

But Reynolds soon finds that neither the procedure nor the company that performed it are quite as advertised when he meets a woman called Madeline (Natalie Martinez) who hails him as her dead husband and her daughter who calls him daddy.

This is a very interesting idea that turns into a QI movie – quite interesting. It never makes a lot of sense, but it is briskly done and capably made. An action thriller ingredient is stirred into the sci-fi and mystery stew to try to keep things lively, and probably mollify worried studio executives as well as pleasing thrill-seeking audiences.

There are dozens of car crashes and collisions in the movie (though it’s been observed that  none of the air bags in the cars ever inflates). But, despite a lot of running around and chases, explosions and killings, it still gets a bit slow and draggy in places. But it looked good on paper, and it’s worth a look, whoever might tell you that it’s a wasted opportunity.

Brothers David Pastor and Àlex Pastor are the men that came up with the clever, satisfying idea that they can’t quite lick into proper shape as a clever, satisfying screenplay. Tarsem Singh is the director who tries to make it all look slick and smart. The admirable Reynolds boldly goes with his movie choices, and remains likeable and appealing whatever he does.

Victor Garber enjoys the rare luxury of a sizeable co-starring role in a big movie as Kingsley’s buddy and business partner who starts the plot off, and he makes a polished job of it. Goode has a lot to do and he does it slickly, though maybe an American character actor would have been better. The other roles aren’t up to very much. Martinez’s key role is underdeveloped and Derek Luke plays the under-realised character of the mysterious Anton.

It’s really all about the main character, so that means only Reynolds and to a lesser extent Kingsley can shine. Shame about the Use/less and Point/less title, of course.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2712

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