THE FINAL CUT
US, 2004, 97 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, Mira Sorvino, Jim Caviezel, Mimi Kuzik.
Directed by Omar Naim.
The Final Cut is a vehicle for Robin Williams at a time when he was experimenting with more serious roles, even roles as a killer – Insomnia, One Power Photo, The Night Listener.
In this film, he is a cutter, an expert who is able to work on recorded human memories, editing them as people contracted, with the possibility of interfering in the memories. We see a number of his clients and explore the desire for people to have this kind of artificial memory of loved ones.
There is a group hostile to this kind of experimentation. The group is led by Jim Caviezel, just after his portrayal of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ.
The film is very complicated in its portrayal of characters, the alternate world, the realm of recorded memories and their editing. In some ways it is reminiscent of the 1980s film, Brainstorm.
1. A futuristic film? Science-fiction? Technology-fiction?
2. The complexity of the plot, its development, audience comprehension, difficulties?
3. The presentation of the future, looking ordinarily like the present? The issue of Zoe implants? Their nature, the files in the cabinets, photographing the memories, the editing and creating of a new life story? The role of the Cutter, the editing, the presentation of the film, the launch? Reality/unreality? The issue of the ownership of the memories? Truth and falsehood?
4. The American city, the homes and streets, wealthy citizens, ordinary citizens, the laboratories and stores? The atmospheric score?
5. Robin Williams as Hackman? His life, as a boy, playing marbles, Louis coming along, their plan, going to the warehouse, the plank upon the open space, Hackman going across, Louis and his fall, the blood? Hackman walking in it? The death haunting him, whether he should have helped or not?
6. Hackman in the present, seeing him with his client, the client watching the implant, Hackman and his satisfaction, his skill in editing? His friend and later using him to raid the store of memories? The former partner, Thelma, who supported him, her assistant and his being bashed by the protesters? His wanting to work with Hackman? The campaigners, the protests? The rich client, the discussions with her? Jim and the past relationship, his motivations the change, disappearing, re-appearing, wanting the footage of the wealthy man, the motivations, the violence?
7. Hackman seeing the image of Louis at the party, interviewing the daughter, (and the girl eavesdropping on his talk with her mother, her own memories, the suggestions of some kind of sexual abuse/or not)? Her identifying Louis as a teacher, his death?
8. Hackman, his personality and lack of personality, his meeting with Delila, at the bookshop, her going home, the sexual encounter, helping him?
9. Fletcher, his approach, wanting the file, the contact with the hitman?
10. Going to Louis’ grave? Wanting to find the files? His helper? Going into the archives? his decision about the tattoo, undergoing the treatment, ending his work as a Cutter? Looking at the footage, his life, his parents and their death, the little girl, the episode with Louis, finding out the truth, that Louis had not died, that the sticky stuff on the ground was paint?
11. The clash with Delila, her looking at the footage, feeling an invasion of privacy, destroying the machines?
12. Fletcher, the pursuit, the hitman, Fletcher not shooting, the hitman killing Hackman?
13. After his death, his own implants, their value, Fletcher searching them? And then the sudden ending of the film?
