“Awake”

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Starring
Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin, Christopher McDonald

Plot
Clay Beresford (Christensen) is a young, wealthy and very successful businessman who seems to want nothing more than to make everyone around him happy. However, his life is filled with small problems that are each trivial, but tally up to create a threatening downfall. An overbearing and overprotective mother (Olin), a secret romance with a beautiful woman (Alba) and a heart condition that leads to an enormously vital surgery ... That’s just the synopsis at surface level. The less you know about this plot, the better.

The Good
The plot is the strongest asset of this film. Appropriate distractions, brilliantly placed, take attention away from the surprises as they come. Most importantly, Jessica Alba has dodged the bullet of playing one-dimensional characters and turned in a very credible performance. When she actually has to act, she’s pretty good at it.

The Bad
Not all the characters are as well developed as they could be. There isn’t much of a satisfying explanation as to why Clay’s mother Lilith is so coldhearted and stern. Even upon the so-called “revelation” of her true nature, her motives are too unclear. Also, it is a bit hard to believe that Clay’s surgeon (Howard) actually does what he does in this film. The motives of he and his colleagues are clear but not entirely authentic.

The Lowdown
“Awake” is a pleasant surprise. It is craftily constructed. Unfortunately, many will overlook this gem, as its trailers do it great injustice, making it look like a “here today, gone tomorrow,” gratuitous horror film. According to the trailer, it is about a man who experiences anesthesia awareness (a phenomenon where a patient is paralyzed, but not unconscious during surgery and can feel everything). This is actually a very small part of the film, which should be presented as what it truly is – a very mindful and powerful thriller.

There may be an underlying theme here focusing on perception. Those who appear to have Clay’s best interest in mind may have hidden agendas, just as those who seem to have constraints on his life may be acting out of love. Take Christopher McDonald’s delicate portrayal of an alcoholic doctor who serves as a last minute replacement for a surgeon participating in Clay’s procedure. He may have a flaw, but his actions are evidence that sometimes the people held in the lowest regard will come out and show what they’re really made of when it counts. “Awake” is surely not what it seems, but is, in fact, much more.

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