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Code 46

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Code 46 (2004)

August. 02,2004
|
6.1
|
R
| Drama Thriller Science Fiction
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In a dystopian future, insurance fraud investigator William Gold arrives in Shanghai to investigate a forgery ring for "papelles", futuristic passports that record people's identities and genetics. Gold falls for Maria Gonzalez, the woman in charge of the forgeries. After a passionate affair, Gold returns home, having named a coworker as the culprit. But when one of Gonzalez's customers is found dead, Gold is sent back to Shanghai to complete the investigation.

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Reviews

Allison Davies
2004/08/02

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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Bumpy Chip
2004/08/03

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

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Logan
2004/08/04

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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Cristal
2004/08/05

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

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fraser-simons
2004/08/06

Holy moly did I ever love this movie. Right after watching it I gave it a 10 on IMDb and bought the soundtrack. Which, strangely has a pretty low ranking despite a whole whack of glowing reviews with similar feelings to my own. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be a massive understatement. In the future everything is controlled by the governments and corporations, pretty familiar so far, right? We are told right away over a series of shots that seem like it's no the future at all, but right now. That, people with genetic compatibility is prohibited. We aren't told the repercussions but we know this is a big no no. Anything above 25% if I remember correctly is not a thing that is tolerated in this society. And then, it's kind of never brought up again. William Geld (Tim Robbins) goes to Shanghai to try and solve a problem for a corporation. Some "papeles" have been flagged with people who have fake IDs. Basically, these papeles are issued by the totalitarian are what allow people to travel to other places, and keep people outside of the cities in shanties out of the cities. William meets a woman named Maria while investigating and a really unique and interesting love story happens. I don't want to give much away but what follows is super compelling. The soundtrack is fantastic, the acting, cinematography, and script is just fantastic. The world is interesting and compelling over time. At first, everything doesn't seem like it's the future at all, and then slowly we are introduced to future tech and cultural things that make it clear that we are not in in the present. My favorite thing was that it seems as though everyone in this world has a short hand that mixes a bunch of different languages. They apologize and refer to boys and girls in Spanish in Shanghai, a young boy speaks french to his father in Seattle, some Chinese words are mixed throughout.Another thing is the concept of consensual viruses that alter people's minds. Code 46 infects everyone and forces them to do something specific, the main character has an empathy virus he uses to immediately discern things about people so long as they offer up something personal about themselves. It's a super neat concept.

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Armand
2004/08/07

in a strange manner, it is a gem. a Sci Fi in a romantic - cruel manner. a memorable atmosphere - mixture between alcohols and fragile velvet. its key - the acting. and the look of Samantha Morton. a film about basic truth. emotions, love, search, resistance against society cages. drawing of ordinary life, it can be a kind of poem. because the beauty and force of images are frame for a story about each viewer. Tim Robbins is the same. precise exploration of nuances, science of detail, silhouette of feelings. and the memories for many negative utopia. must see it ! only for the taste of few events - bones of ordinary existence in new light, with gentle delicacy

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Desertman84
2004/08/08

Code 46 is a disquieting science fiction love story with themes that explore the moral impacts of advances in biotechnology. In the not-so- distant future, a married man investigates a counterfeiter and ends up the perpetrator of an ethical crime.The film stars Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton together with Togo Igawa,Natalie Mendoza,Nabil Elouahabi,Om Puri and Jeanne Balibar. The movie is directed by Michael Winterbottom, with screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The soundtrack was composed by David Holmes under the name "Free Association".Set against the backdrop of a technologically advanced Shanghai, where people are only allowed to travel between countries with official passports called "papelles," the film charts the efforts of Seattle native William to get to the bottom of a contraband-papelle operation within the walls of a high-tech company that manufactures them. There he finds Maria, an enigmatic young woman who may or may not be selling the passports on the black market. William has a brief affair with Maria, which, despite his attempts to return home, causes him to become embroiled in an even bigger controversy in Shanghai.The film is a big disappointment despite having a talented cast in Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton. The viewer tend to get bored and probably less sympathetic and interested with the characters involved as they perform more like physically assembled beings from the laboratory rather than people with emotions. Aside from that,the premise is somewhat original in the sense it gives a person an aloof feeling especially with the characters involved namely William and Maria,we get to a point that we feel lack of empathy for both of them.I don't know if this was the purpose of the screenwriter but nevertheless,he should have made it a point to make the movie interesting and absorbing especially for the events that are about to happen and for the character involved in the story.Without this,the movie becomes a missed opportunity despite the fact that it could have been an intelligent science fiction that would have given a view of what the future of biotechnology in the years to come.

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dracoi
2004/08/09

This movie achieves the quintessence of science fiction with its visionary breadth and genuine intrigue. Actually, to say that it's intriguing is an understatement, but to compare it to stories like 1984 or Brave New World simply doesn't do it justice. You have to really watch this one to notice the subtle musings, and to appreciate the care with which it was crafted (in terms of the production design, screen writing, and especially the acting and directing). Obviously I enjoyed it more than most people will, but please just watch the movie and come to your own conclusions. I think some of the less than positive reviews of this movie are coming from those who didn't fully understand what the creators of the film were trying to communicate. If you haven't seen it, use the following as you would an appetizer:Imagine a world in which globalization has completed; there is but one authority, and one language. The mysteries of the human body have been elucidated, and mental illness has finally been eradicated from the general population. Now imagine someone gifted with a perfectly tuned sense of empathy, such that he can interrogate someone indirectly with friendly small talk. His name is William Geld, and he is about to discover the consequences of his rare nature.

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