AFFF log

To be, not to be, to be, perhaps to be, not to be, to be
Links: AFFF / imdb

The opening shot of this film is telling: one continuous take that runs about five minutes, with a slow push in and track out dictated by the movement of the characters. Elegant, sparse, no thrills, no accidents. This style is used consistently throughout the film. Constrained, never losing sight of the drama, underlining the emotions.

In the film they talk about "resonance", a metaphysical concept describing how the soul wanders after death and tries to reconnect to a reinstated (cloned) body. Fascinating subject matter! The focus is not so much the tech behind cloning (we never see how they produce a full grown adult clone including a full memory dump) but the philosophical questions relating to the subject. And to shed even more light on the subject, the notion of having an identical twin ("a natural clone") is included in this exploration.

But what really sold me was the overarching theme of redemption, about second chances, about changing life, and how difficult (but necessary) it is to get closure. Definitely someone to keep an eye on, this Kanji Nakajima.

Both the style and the substance really worked for me. I was touched and left pondering after seeing this film - exactly the type of residue that only few films leave me with.

Rating: 9