Movie and Television Reviews

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Awake is a focused thriller with an original enough premise and a sufficiently deep subject matter to lift it above its genre peers. Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen [Darth Vader]) is a billionaire with a weak heart and a strong mother. He's in love (quite understandably) with Sam Lockwood (both Jessica Alba and her bad self), a relationship of which his mother, Lilith (Lena Olin), disapproves. Lilith also opposes Clay's choice of doctor, the thrice sued, debt-ridden, Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard), who happened to be on call during Clay's first heart incident and with whom Clay develops a friendship. Set in the present day before a Kucinich presidency, Lilith hires the top private heart surgeon in the country to perform the required transplant, but Clay courageously insists that Jack be the attending physician.

Jessica Alba

On a bravery streak, Clay also notifies his possessive mother that he's in love with Sam and intends to marry her which he does that very evening. A beeper goes off during the consummation (I would have waited for the next heart.), informing Clay and his new bride that the hospital found a donor heart and to report to the hospital immediately.

This first half of the movie unfolds like an intricate origami with plenty of nice cinematic edges. In the car, Clay tells Sam that he will tell her about them. We think that Clay will confront his wife about an affair, of course, but after Clay enters the house alone and approaches a youngish woman in bed, we're surprised that the oblivious woman is his mother. The writers wait until Clay and Sam's relationship is established that we discover that Sam works for the mother and met Clay while on the job.

Like praying that the two cars on a collision course won't hit each other, the audience has an idea of what's about to happen, but still hopes that Clay can avoid his medical fate. That aspiration fills the first half with legitimate tension, an anxiety that doesn't end until the credits for other, equally earned, reasons.

Hayden Christensen after a previous surgery. I wonder if he was awake for this one.

The incompetent anesthesiologist leaves Clay wide awake during the procedure. And, that's all the specifics I can give without you getting mad at me. The rest of the plot is a clever series of twists and turns that would make slalom course designer proud.

If the primary goal of a suspense movie is to create suspense, Awake is a triumph. I didn't correctly guess any of the developments from the plausible hints sprinkled throughout the movie (Yakuza, insurance fraud, etc.) and some of conclusions are definite surprises. Even the often weak flashback montage where the audience is shown how stupid they were not to piece it together ("That's right! How could I have missed it?") is well done.

The novelty of the situation sets Awake apart from other suspense movies (Halle Berry's Perfect Stranger, this year). Apparently 700 people a year stay awake during surgery and the director does a great job of dramatizing what must be a horrible experience. The surgery, narrated by Clay, is a fine strip of cringe-inducing celluloid. His disembodied sleuthing, during which we see the history of his relationship is also effective

Jessica looks lovely and performs well. Hayden is OK, but I worry for his future. He's a one-trick pony: one look, one voice, one emotion (sullen).

Message/ Politics:

None really although all of the business transactions were discussed in terms of how many jobs they'd create (to their credit, they filmed Awake in New York).

Because the movie deals with life and death, Awake encourages philosophical pondering. I'm sure Awake will remind people of loved ones who have passed away or been hospitalized. I left the theater grateful for the health of my loved ones and dreading a Clay-like circumstance. The movie hints at an afterlife, but nothing specific unless you think the movie is making the case that just before death, one walks around one's home magically turning off the lights.

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Directed by
Joby Harold

Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Joby Harold

Cast (in credits order)

Hayden Christensen ... Clay Beresford

Jessica Alba ... Sam Lockwood

Terrence Howard ... Dr. Jack Harper

Lena Olin ... Lilith Beresford

Christopher McDonald ... Dr. Larry Lupin
Sam Robards ... Clayton Beresford, Sr.

Arliss Howard ... Dr. Jonathan Neyer
Fisher Stevens ... Dr. Puttnam
Georgina Chapman ... Penny Carver

David Harbour ... Dracula

Steven Hinkle ... Young Clay

Denis O'Hare ... Financial News Analyst

Charlie Hewson ... Brian the Orderly

Court Young ... Officer Doherty
Joseph Costa ... Dr. Elbogen

Poorna Jagannathan ... Dr. Neyer's Nurse
Lee Wong ... Mr. Waturi

Kae Shimizu ... Asian Translator
Steven Rowe ... Teacher
Jeffrey Fierson ... Head Chef
Richard Thomsen ... Minister

Joshua Rollins ... Funeral Minister
Brenda Schad ... Pregnant Woman
Sam Pitman ... Zombie
Ross Klavan ... Financial News Analyst #2
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Produced by
Kelly Carmichael .... executive producer
Jason Kilot .... producer
Jason Kliot .... producer
John Penotti .... producer
Fisher Stevens .... executive producer
Tory Tunnell .... co-producer
Joana Vicente .... producer
Bob Weinstein .... executive producer
Harvey Weinstein .... executive producer
Tim Williams .... executive producer

Original Music by
Samuel Sim

Cinematography by
Russell Carpenter

Film Editing by
Craig McKay

Casting by
Avy Kaufman

Production Design by
Dina Goldman

Art Direction by
Ben Barraud

Set Decoration by
Tora Peterson

Costume Design by
Cynthia Flynt

Makeup Department
Barney Burman .... prosthetics makeup consultant
Michelle Johnson .... personal hair stylist: Jessica Alba & Lena Olin
Evelyne Noraz .... personal makeup artist: Jessica Alba & Lena Olin

Production Management
Miles Ferguson .... post-production supervisor
Robin Sweet .... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zeke Dunn .... trainee assistant director
Amanda Slater .... first assistant director
Alfonso Trinidad .... key second assistant director
Michael L. Walker .... second assistant director

Art Department
Glen Aldous .... camera scenic artist
Joshua Barraud .... set dresser
Steve Cascarelli .... set dresser
Ipek Celik .... buyer
Ipek Celik .... set dresser
David Cooney .... storyboard artist
Abariss Culjak .... props assistant
Mary Frances Eglin .... art department coordinator
Kelly Hemenway .... lead graphic designer
Elizabeth Minot .... set dresser
Julio Palma .... set dresser
Paul Pitalo .... set dresser
Alex Quarles .... set dresser
Adam Roffman .... property master
Kyle Salvatore .... on-set dresser
Anu Schwartz .... assistant property master
Tasayu Tasnaphun .... digital artist
Adam VanWagner .... art department production assistant

Sound Department
Bob Chefalas .... sound re-recording mixer
Marko A. Costanzo .... foley artist
Tim Dallesandro .... sound re-recordist
Dustin DuPilka .... apprentice sound editor
Dan Edelstein .... dialogue editor
Christopher Fondulas .... utility sound
Anguibe Guindo .... utility sound
John Gutierrez .... boom operator
Ruth Hernandez .... adr editor
Paul Hsu .... sound designer
Bret Johnson .... sound re-recordist
George A. Lara .... foley mixer
Mike Poppleton .... foley editor
Mary Ellen Porto .... dialog editor
Nicholas Renbeck .... sound re-recording mixer
Nicholas Renbeck .... supervising sound editor
Wyatt Sprague .... sound effects editor
Lidia Tamplenizza .... assistant sound editor
Eric Thompson .... adr mixer
Noah Timan .... sound mixer
Steven Visscher .... supervising foley editor

Special Effects by
Dan Crawley .... special effects technician
Hill Vinot .... mold maker: Burman Studios

Visual Effects by
Jeremy Fernsler .... digital compositor
Chris Gelles .... visual effects executive producer: & Company
David Isyomin .... visual effects supervisor: & Company
Thomas Lynch .... digital compositor

Stunts
Peter Bucossi .... stunt coordinator
Samantha MacIvor .... stunt double
Samantha MacIvor .... stunt double: Jessica Alba

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey .... still photographer
Christopher Cannucciari .... additional electrician
Robert Carnevale .... grip
Luis Colon .... grip
John Coots .... electrician
Jeff Dutemple .... first assistant camera
Jeff Dutemple .... steadicam assistant
Jay Feather .... first assistant camera
Robert K. Feldmann .... dolly grip
Keith Gordon .... grip
Jamison Grella .... generator operator
Dan Kubicek .... electrician
Dennis A. Livesey .... camera operator
Gary Martone .... key grip
Michael J. Maurer .... best boy
Jason Messeri .... grip
Justin Panzanaro .... company grip
Kit Pennebaker .... rigging electrician
Steve Ramsey .... gaffer
Lance Rieck .... remote camera technician
Ethan Rosenduft .... grip
Jamie Silverstein .... camera operator
Jamie Silverstein .... steadicam operator
David Skutch .... rigging gaffer
Jonathan Stern .... additional rigging electrician
T. Ray Treece .... on-set video assist
Fernando Vallejo .... assistant: director of photography
Joshua Van Praag .... electrician
Kevin Vincent .... rigging electrician
Daniel Wiener .... second assistant camera

Casting Department
Meredith Jacobson .... extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Richard Caswell .... wardrobe production assistant
Colleen McTigue .... wardrobe supervisor
Amy Pickering .... wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Kate Eales .... additional editor
Kimberly K. Ferraro .... post-production coordinator
Gordon Grinberg .... additional editor
Alexander M. Pearson .... post-production assistant
Sarah Jean Porter .... assistant editor
Ira Schweitzer .... colorist: high definition dailies

Music Department
Missy Cohen .... music editor
Dan Lieberstein .... music supervisor

Other crew
Paul Bischot .... office production assistant
Angela Cutrone .... additional production assistant
Frank Dauro .... production assistant
Kathryn Dean .... location scout
Gillian DiNapoli .... photo double
Gillian DiNapoli .... stand-in
Maggie Engelhardt .... production office coordinator
Amanda Essick .... assistant: John Penotti
Lindsay Feldman .... assistant production office coordinator
Scott Ferlisi .... assistant location manager
Jesse Fox Chaney .... key set production assistant (as Jesse Chaney)
Shellie Gillespie .... payroll accountant
Shane Haden .... location manager
Omar Hernandez .... production assistant
Sean Hogan .... production accountant
Aaron Hurvitz .... location scout
Meredith Kaunitz .... dialect coach: Japanese
Meredith Kaunitz .... translator: Japanese
Samantha Kreitzer .... production secretary
Andrew Leroy .... assistant: Joana Vicente
Matthew Martini .... photo double: Hayden Christensen
Kat Murello .... stand-in
Frank Murray .... first assistant accountant
Ron Ng .... security: Jessica Alba
Sean Oliver .... adr loop group
John Perez .... location scout
Anthony Pettine .... script supervisor
B. Reeves .... production assistant
Guillaume Renberg .... remote head technician
William Sepulveda .... craft service
Joe Sevey .... location manager
Thomas M. Sevey .... locations department
Jonathan Shukat .... assistant: John Penotti
Sascha Springer .... location scout
Salvatore E. Sutera .... background set production assistant
Judd Taylor .... production office intern
Eva Vedock .... key craft service