Jonathan Mostow's Surrogates is yet another movie that suffered from a lack of a proper publicity campaign. Based on the graphic novel by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele (which I now need to read), this movie is a smart action mystery that explores humanity's loss of itself in light of new and overwhelming technology. All of this is wrapped up in a clever corporate murder mystery that owes a lot of its overall tone to the writings of Phillip K. Dick. The plot weaves in and out of the moral tapestry that is laid out in a short montage during the opening credits. Imagine my surprise when the story had me fully engaged less than 10 minutes in. The premise this universe builds upon is that a technological breakthrough now allows humanity to live out its lives vicariously through robotic stand-ins, or surrogates. This means that there are no (physical) consequences for actions taken. When your surrogate dies, you just get out of your chair and move on. The psychological implications of this society are staggering. It's when someone is actually murdered through the connection to their surrogate that these implications begin to be examined. Wow.
Bruce Willis (another who has done it all, again look him up), Ving Rhames (Mission:Impossible, Pulp Fiction), and James Cromwell (Secretariat, W.) are great in their roles. Willis is the investigating FBI agent utilizing this technology, Rhames is the militant anti-surrogate leader, and Cromwell is the "father" of surrogacy. I loved how theses characters absolutely gave this reality a credibility that lesser actors my have let pass.
The universe of Surrogates is like a poison M&M. A glossy, sweet, candy coating over a decaying, dysfunctional center that threatens to explode at any moment. I was very surprised by this and would recommend its place on your queue. The only shame about this film is that Phillip K. Dick had nothing to do with it, but his influence is there, so all is well. 8/10.
Tomorrow's movie: Gulliver and an awkward teenager in Year One. See you then, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!
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