Code 46 (2003)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writer:

Frank Cottrell Boyce (writer)

Release Date:

7 May 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

In the future...love is a dangerous game.

Plot:

A futuristic 'Brief Encounter', a love story in which the romance is doomed by genetic incompatibility.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Affair | Future | Totalitarian | Dystopia

Awards:

4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Tim Robbins	...	William Geld
Togo Igawa	...	Driver
Nabil Elouahabi	...	Vendor
Samantha Morton	...	Maria Gonzales
Sarah Backhouse	...	Weather Girl
Jonathan Ibbotson	...	Boxer
Natalie Jackson Mendoza	...	Sphinx Receptionist (as Natalie Mendoza)
Om Puri	...	Bahkland
Emil Marwa	...	Mohan
Nina Fog	...	Wole
Bruno Lastra	...	Bikku
Christopher Simpson	...	Paul
Lien Nguyin	...	Singer in Nightclub
David Fahm	...	Damian Alekan
Jeanne Balibar	...	Sylvie

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality, including brief graphic nudity.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-15 | New Zealand:R13 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Italy:VM14 | Japan:PG-12 | Singapore:R21 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #40188)

Filming Locations:

Blackwall Tunnel, London, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Mick Jones of The Clash sings the Clash song "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" in the karaoke-esque club scene, but he appears to get the words wrong. The song goes "If I go there will be trouble. If I STAY it will be double", but he sings "If I go there will be trouble. If I GO it will be double".

Goofs:

Continuity: After William brings Maria coffee in bed, she stands up and takes off her gray shirt revealing a black sleeveless top. She has the gray shirt on again while she's sitting on the toilet.

Quotes:

Wole: There is no freckles pornography.
William: Well, there is "Anne of Green Gables".
Wole: I consider "Anne of Green Gables" to be an erotic masterpiece.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Obtaining Cover: Inside Code 46 (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Thodasa Pagla

Makes you wonder...

I liked the feel of this film, but...

It's a kind of Orwellian "Lost in Translation" (with a chunk of A. Huxley thrown in for good measure). Samantha Morton is great as the Winston Smith/Scarlett Johansson character. I liked the Asian settings, one of the scenes reminding me of a hotel I stayed at in Delhi. I liked the futuristic English language with its smattering of Spanish and French.

So, why only five stars? Well, it's not just bleak, it's dull. Three things happen in an hour and a half, and Tim Robbins doesn't breathe much life into those meagre happenings. I'm surprised that Hollywood backed it - who did they think would want to watch it? I'm one of the few people I can think of who might enjoy such a film, and even I found it boring.