Code 46 (2004)

Wow! This is simply an astounding movie that will linger and won't let you go. The story is imbued with visual and aural textures and an emotional complexity that, while appearing smooth on the surface, actually run deep, very deep. Here is a groundbreaking, thoroughly iconic film that blends the storylines of 1984, Children of Men, and Gattaca with a global gestalt (filming was in Shanghai and Dubai) reminiscent of Koyanisqaatsi. It's a sci-fi setting for a love story that is an art film too. The emotional and sexual chemistry between Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton is undeniable, though each has reasons to be of two minds: His marriage and her "therapy" for violation of Code 46. It's interesting how widely others' reviews of this movie vary -- from comments comparable to "astonishingly rich and complex story and acting -- unparalleled" to "I didn't understand it -- boring, a waste of time." (Hm, I wonder which is the smart crowd and which is the dumb crowd.) Probably just a half-dozen dystopian-future sci-fi movies have grabbed me as strongly and enduringly as Code 46. A must-see movie from BBC Films and the director of A Mighty Heart. 5 stars.