Search - Final on DVD

Kendra M. (KendraM) from NASHVILLE, TN
Reviewed on 2/4/2008...

Coincidentally, I watched Resolution #9 a few days prior to watching this one. That movie showed a man descending into paranoia-- believing everyone is out to get him and conspiring against him for some type of experiment. This one also has a hero in a similar situation. However, here, there is doubt as to whom to believe.

Denis Leary is great in this role and the movie is interesting, although it's not a perfect film by any means.

He wakes up one morning in a mental hospital believing it is 400 years in the future. He believes he went into the hospital to do a cryogenic experiment on his finger 400 years ago and that he was put into a cryogenic sleep against his will. He believes that he overhears the hospital staff talking about giving him his "final" injection that will kill him.

He tries to enlist the aid of his doctor (played without emotion by Hope Davis) who he begins to trust. As he begins to trust her, he starts doubting his own beliefs.

This movie has a great premise and almost delivers in its execution. Actually, it does, but it's not too satisfying. It's a good movie, but could have been a bit better had Hope Davis' character been a bit more emotional. The movie would have been better served had her character just been a bit less flat.

Recommended with some reservations. If you like the genre, you'll like the movie.

Leary's, Davis's and Scott's best work

carol irvin | United States | 08/07/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Leary's, Davis's and Scott's best work, bar none. The screenwriter, Bruce McIntosh, also did a brilliant job. I've seen Leary miscast in so many films that it was wonderful finally seeing him in one that showed all facets of his talent. He should not be in light, frothy romantic comedies, which he's done, and this certainly is not a light, frothy, romantic comedy. I'm not even sure he should be in gangster films and I've seen him in several of those (ok at best). He and Hope Davis are great together here and come together better as a couple than he has come together with any other actress in a film. I've seen him in romance vehicles with other actresses, like Sandra Bullock, that were just dismal. He needs to do biting satire like he did in "The Ref" or outright layered, nuanced drama, like he does here. (I also loved his standup comedy act.) Leary's character, Bill, wakes up from a coma in a psychiatric hospital with delusions that he is about to be executed by some futuristic society which has unfrozen him from the past. However, under Hope Davis's care as Ann, his psychiatrist, he starts remembering trauma from his pre-coma life, including the death of his father, a break up with his fiance, and a drunken binge while driving. He starts to recover from his mental breakdown yet his delusions don't entirely disappear, surprisingly enough. Or are they delusions? Great blues music throughout. I'd heard nothing about this film and tried it out simply based on what I read on the box and Leary's, Scott's and Davis's involvement. I wasn't expecting a perfect 10 of a film but I sure got it! Hubby absolutely loved it too."

Slow start, powerful development

LGwriter | Astoria, N.Y. United States | 09/04/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What at first looks to be a relatively standard drama of a patient in a mental institution turns out to be something far removed from that in this intriguing science fiction film. And make no mistake, this IS science fiction. Once the basic premise is revealed, it is crystal clear that what is really going on here challenges the main character and the viewer as well in their moral priorities.



The main character, Tyler, is played by Dennis Leary, who turns in a solid performance as someone whose paranoid fantasies of his current situation, ostensibly in said mental institution, fuse with his memories of a lost love from years before. His doctor is Hope Davis, here proving her versatility as, at first, a removed scientist, then gradually warming to her subject.



The doctor's sister is also a patient, but one confined because of a physical illness, not for reasons of mental deterioration. This is a key element in the puzzle of this film as it unravels, as is the ice-cold director of the institution and the complete geographical isolation of the institution itself.



As Tyler's memories become clearer, he simultaneously moves closer to the doctor emotionally. This very intelligent plot device is critical in the development of the story. The beginning is a bit slow, because of what, as mentioned, appears to be a fairly routine scenario. But stick around; it gets MUCH better.



A really well thought out script and fine acting make this a highly recommended, literate, science fiction film."

I can't get it out of my head

doppelganger | Chicago | 10/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is low budget, and borderline "sci-fi". BUT, it's also got an incredible story, excellent acting and intangible qualities that may make you want to cry in the end. With that said, it's not a chick-flick either (it's just that, I think I'm in love with Hope Davis after seeing this). And Leary totally saved the movie from obscurity for me. He is cast perfectly for this role. I won't tell any details, the less you know the better. Not for everyone, but if you like drama, sci-fi, and don't mind a bit of a slow start, you'll be glad you saw this movie. I can't wait to watch it again."