FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
TEKNOLUST
Tilda Swinton (Adaptation, Orlando) proves once again her acting
prowess in this comedic sci-fi
film where she plays a bio-geneticist, Rosetta Stone, who has downloaded
her DNA to create three self replicating automatons. Swinton also portrays
these
three color-coordinated characters: Ruby, Marine and Olive. There is one catch
- the creations
need injections of spermatozoa to stay alive. It is seductress Ruby’s duty to
supply her sisters with the fluid. Meanwhile, Rosetta keeps her creations hidden
from the world until an epidemic breaks out among the men Ruby has depleted
and the origin points to her. While out on the prowl, Ruby discovers emotion and love with Sandy (Davies), an
idiosyncratic
young slacker working in a copy shop.
Although the film is innovative and creative with an intricate plot line, we
are
left with a feeling of incompleteness. The sheer concept of the film is
intriguing
enough to suck in the viewer, and with Ruby, Marine and Olive depending on
sperm
to live, its bold sensuality can not be denied. There are moments, however,
when the
story line drags, causing scenes to be boring, even to
a sci-fi junkie. As the film is played out, we are given the dilemma of a
cyber-human’s realization of love and even the trite underlying theme of
morality
in genetic cloning. Characterizations, especially those of Marine and Olive,
are
left underdeveloped and the sudden ending seems somewhat tacked on. We are
offered a clichéd reminder from Rosetta that “our wildest dreams can become
reality,”
an adage that’s hard to swallow when seemingly forced into a mind-shattering
concept. Lisette Johnson
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