Le Remplaçant

I recently reviewed a movie based on a book and noted how great it was that it didn't feel like a film based on a book. 'Foe' on the other hand felt very much like a movie based on a book. The dialogue was extremely clunky and the kind of stuff that could be fine when read on the page, but sounds ridiculous and uninspired when said out loud.

Also I found some of the direction very strange in this one. I half expected to look the director up and see a first-timer, not someone who had directed a Best Picture nominee in the past. It was little things but they kept adding up. There were scenes where three characters would all be yelling, and yet at no point would any of them stand up. There was no desire to make scenes like this in any way cinematic in nature.

The biggest crime the film commits though is that it is painfully boring. Despite having two very good actors in the lead roles, there is zero chemistry there. To be fair, the script gives them almost nothing to work with. When you have to spend the entire film with these two people and there is absolutely nothing likeable there to work with, it is always going to be a tedious experience.

The sad thing is that the idea of the movie has merit. If done in a different way, this film could have worked masterfully. It wasn't though and for that reason this was not an enjoyable experience. 4/10.

Yes, like others mentioned before, the plot is quite nonsense and it bothers. It would definitely be much better If there was no space context or AI involved.

So don't watch this for the sake of being entertained.

Nevertheless, watch this if and when you're up to getting introspective, or reflect on your relationships. I thought it was provocative, and it leaves you thinking of how much we change overtime, and also, how much we idealize or come up with excuses for our partners behaviors - maybe in an attempt to sooth us down - when the reality is much uglier. And there's Paul mescal, and that alone is a reason to give it a go.

It's 2065. Water is scarced. People are moving to space. Hen (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) live on his farm which his family has owned for five generations. Farming is a struggle and he works at a chicken factory. There is tension in the marriage. Out of the blue, Terrance (Aaron Pierre) comes to their door. He's recruiting for space pioneers and maybe do a little threatening on top of that.

There is an interesting sci-fi concept and an intriguing reveal somewhere in this movie. I can't buy the undercooked sci-fi concept. As a mystery, the movie is holding back a few pieces in the puzzle and the audience is kept waiting. The terrific pairing of Mescal and Ronan is giving it their all, but the movie keeps going in circles. The surrealism mounts until the movie goes down the drain.

My Review- Foe My Rating. 5/10

The impressive acting by the trio of stars in Foe from Saorise Ronan and Paul Mescal and Aaron Pierre couldn't salvage this angst ridden dystopian self indulgent melodrama for me .

For me this movie is a confusing mish mash of scenes that at times reminded me of Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf meets Frankenstein at The Rocky Horror Show.

Set in 2065 For's about the sad lives of a young couple Hen played by Saorise Ronanand her husband Junior played by Paul Mescal who oddly works in a poultry abattoir as he's married to a Hen.

Filmed in Victoria and South Australia Foe takes place in Americas MidWest and tells the story of a married couple living a life of isolation in a wasteland that's been denuded of any vegetation as a result of the neglect that our planet is experiencing today .

A stranger named Terence drives up to their home knocks on the door and tells them the good news that Junior has been chosen because of his obvious fitness and strength to be part of a relocation exercise for Earthlings to find another planet to ruin.

Terence assures Junior that Hen will not be left alone as an artificial replacement for Junior complete with all his physical prowess and his memories will take his place while he's away .

That's enough plot line the emotional drama then increases as Terence interviews the couple about every intimate part of their relationship warts and all which only uncovers more tension and angst.

The novel Foe which I haven't read by Iain Reid is promoted as a taut, psychological mind-bender from the bestselling author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things.

The screen play adaptation of the movie by Garth Davis and Iain Reid in my opinion is sloppy and at times mind numbing instead of mind bending .

The Direction by Garth Davis considering his previous great movies like Lion and Penguin Bloom I found disappointing it seemed to steer this space ship out of orbit.

However the chemistry and charisma of Saorise Ronan and Paul Mescal who is shirtless most of the movie was impressive and I hope they team up again in a better film.

Will some author please write an uplifting story set in a future where Politicians and populations overcome the terrible future scenario we are told is inevitable today ?

Perhaps it's too late? But the old saying of what we eat today walks and talks tomorrow could be changed to what we think today will become tomorrow comes to mind I'm pleased I won't be here to see it .

This is not a typical sci-fi, which may account for the low ratings. It's a relationship drama initiated by a futuristic premise. I did read several negative reviews but decided to give it a shot anyway. 30 minutes in, I was hooked. The plotting might come across as slow and the dialogue cumbersome until everything is revealed, but then it all fits together and Prima facie assumptions crumble. The art is not in the unsurprising plot "twist" but in how all of the scenes that precede it build to that moment. I'll definitely be watching it again with open eyes directed to the execution of the story.