DVD review (region 1 & 2)
Directed by Joby Harold
Starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
Release date Out now
During a heart operation wealthy Clay Beresford (Christensen) finds himself conscious but paralyzed – a victim of ‘anesthetic awareness’. As he lies there helpless he overhears some shocking secrets…
Awake is certainly an unusual little movie. Part murder-mystery, part out-of-body metaphysical drama, part love story, the film’s disparate elements rarely gel well together, but it’s not without intriguing moments.
After a brief, rather clichéd voiceover from Terrance Howard’s surgeon, the film takes time to establish the love story between Hayden Christensen’s young investment banker Clay and Jessica Alba’s Sam, the woman he’s reluctant to introduce to his overbearing mother (Olin). The movie changes direction when Clay goes underneath the knife and finds he’s fully conscious during the operation – an apparently real phenomenon called ‘anaesthetic awareness’ (‘Every year, one in 700 people wake up during surgery’ as an opening title card tells us).
For a while it almost plays out like a real life-inspired slice of torture porn, before Clay’s ‘spirit’ leaves his body to block out the pain and mooches around. He confronts unresolved issues from his childhood and also, in a strange twist on the murder mystery formula, uncovers a shocking conspiracy against him.
What starts off as an interesting idea becomes increasingly ludicrous, not helped by the bland performances and vacuum of humour. But it’s slickly made and, despite the clichés, there is at least a modicum of originality at work here. And at 84 minutes, Awake doesn’t really have time to outstay its welcome. James Skipp
VERDICT: 5/10
A polished-looking mess of a movie.
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