They’re not particularly ambiguous; anyone with even a passing memory of the original film or the Philip K Dick novella upon which it is based – We Can Remember It For You Wholesale – will recognise the premise. A shady corporation implants false memories for customers, allowing them to think they’ve lived the life they’ve always wanted, in return for a fee. Questions of identity and self were always at the heart of Dick’s best works, but that was unfortunately set aside for the first adaptation of the work which will, for me at least, be remembered more for this line:
The web address at the foot of the posters leads to the previously-revealed viral site where you can enter to your telephone number so that you can receive a message about your "vacation package."
The trailers for the film look tasty, with Wiseman evidently given a career-high when it comes to budget. Colin Farrell will make a much more convincing lead than Arnie, and there is decent support from Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Choo and Bill Nighy. I’m not absolutely convinced with some of the liberties the adaptation has taken with the source material – the focus isn’t on Mars, for one – but there’s a typically brilliant PKD conceit at the heart of the work that has the legs for an alternative interpretation.
And with the Paul Verhoevan original also expected to get a theatrical re-release to mark the reboot (with a reduced BBFC 15 classification), you can watch both and pick a favourite.
Total Recall opens on 3rd August.
Source: Coming Soon
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