2041 - Restore point

'Restore Point (2023)' is a Czech sci-fi film about a conspiracy surrounding the planned privatization of a technology that allows people to back-up their brains and be brought back from the dead if they're killed via unnatural means (such as murder). Focusing on a detective with a personal vendetta against the terrorist group she's hunting, the flick presents itself as a slow-burning investigative thriller with occasional bursts of action and a couple of neat twists and turns. Its handsome, clean, probing aesthetic is clearly inspired by the likes of 'Blade Runner 2049 (2017)', albeit with less neon and lashings of rain, and its narrative also takes inspiration from that meditative legacy sequel. Thanks to its conceptually interesting and convincingly conveyed technology and architecture, its version of the future is not only compelling but also surprisingly honest. It's feasible that we're heading in the direction it portrays, with its most potent aspects being extensions of what we're already seeing rather than unattainable fantasies of space battles and laser swords (which are also cool, don't get me wrong). The central idea is intriguing to probe, more from a moral standpoint than a technological one, and it leads to some genuinely exciting questions that hint towards what we've always wondered without feeling as though they succumb to cliché. Although it may be a tiny bit forgettable overall, at least in terms of its specific plot and the relatively low-key way in which it unravels, and its ending is a tiny bit underwhelming (especially considering how engaging the various enigmas leading up to it are), but this is ultimately a confident and absorbing detective thriller that's set in a tangible world, poses some potent questions (without necessarily answering them all), and features a few suspenseful sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat by playing with the picture's established rules in an enjoyable way. It's a really entertaining effort, and it's especially impressive for a directorial debut.

It's really hard to review this movie objectively beying Czech, it doesn't look really comparable to Hollywood movies with massive budgets (and you have to know that before you visit cinema, don't expect Blade Runner with massive long shots to cyberpunk cities), but it's welcomed change here in our country, you have to consider how cheap this movie was (less then 2 milion eur).

Also you have to consider what kind of movies we normaly do, this is our first sci-fi after like 60 years! And after 2022 Jan Zizka (Medieval in English) this is the second try to do something more worldwide looking after many years, our film makers normaly don't even try, they make just TV movies targeted to a Czech viewer or fairytales or stupid comedy movies which are really low quality (which is sad, because our old comedy movies are really good), but Medieval had 10 times higher budget and looks worse than this super cheap movie.

Movie is just detective story from cyberpunk future, nothing too complicated, there are some nice ideas and moral dilemats, creators say that they worked on that for 9 years, so people who say it's stealing from Altered Carbon should consider that it's just a coincidence, the same asi similarities to Cyberpunk 2077.

Movie takes place somewhere in "central Europe" and names and places are selected on purpose that you don't exactly know where it is, some names are Czech, some Polish, some sounds German and city is mix of Prague, Warsaw and few other cities, but due to low budget, the vast majority of shots is very short and places where something is really doing on are small, similar to TV movies or theater, which is logical with that budget, part of movie takes place in comunity of people who deny technology, which is a logical way to save money, but I noticed that a lot of people hate the movie for not beying enough sci-fi and Cyberpunk, they have to know the budget! It's a miracle what they did with that money and it's just a start, if it earns money, they have big plans with this universe, so please support this movie made by new young creators with mostly new actors and actresses and you will get more in the future.

I don't remember how this title came to my attention, but I'm glad I watched it.

The premise is nothing new, but the story is carried by decent performances by the (to me) unknown actors, sprinked with noteworthy acting by some of the supporting characters (Iveta Duskova and Jan Vlasak did an especially fine job).

Special effects looked good enough on my small screen. Some cyberpunk scenes are worth remembering - the mute thug with the 7-segment LED dentures is one of them.

Dialogue is average but again there are some noteworthy moments (the contrast between cellular memory and actual memory, for instance, or how Kurlstat discovered that he had gifted himself the memory of how to play piano after having his head slammed on a keyboard).

None of the characters pushed the plot along by doing stupid things, which is always a nice touch.

(IMDB doesn't allow me to use proper accents in the actors' names. Sorry about that.)

Oh yeah, really enjoyed this one. Loved the futuristic visuals, very cleverly done. They did not miss a single detail in the technology of what could be, very sharp!

A most engaging Crime Thriller too. It posits a fantastic possibility of being able to Restore people who have died. There may have been other Sci Fi films along these lines too, but quite honestly I feel this has done it better than most others. There are some nice twists and turns in what is actually going on which really keeps the audience very much involved. I absolutely LOVED the representation of the architecture and landscapes, just marvelous!

The acting I thought was very well done. Even though it is not anywhere near my native language, and even reading the subtitles, the acting overall was excellent. I don't know if it is a reflection of the culture in general, but I really liked the very low-key, understated manner that everyone displayed. I don't know, but just the fact that everyone was so damn calm, I think it just really added to the overall weight and power of the story.

This is definitely NOT a big, Slam-Bang Sci Fi movie with huge special effects. So, if you are more in the mood for that, look elsewhere. Think the low-key, elegant look and feel of a film like 'GATTACA' The style of this one is very similar, but with a bit more detail in the surrounding environment. So, if you like really cool, well designed low-key futuristic Tech combined with a really good Crime Thriller, you should really enjoy this one! I gave it a very rare but much deserved '8'...

Good storyline, very well executed, convincing cast. For a none Hollywood movie and I assume no gazillion Euros budget either, that is quite an impressive and enjoyable movie.

Big respect to Robert Hloz who did a great job, I am sure we'll see more of his work in the future. You could tell that he is a big fan of Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049", although the similarities are not imposing, but you could feel that we are not far from that reality, in a brighter and less gloomy future compared to Blade Runner.

I like very much the new everyday technology of 2041 and the performances of the cast and the casual way they were interacting with it, presumably most of it is CGI, but still it was quite convincing and a kind of a glimpse into the not so far possible future.

Very solid performance from all the cast but surely top praise to the lead character played by Andrea Mohylova.

I love it when a movie I know nothing about surprises me the way this movie did, quite a joyful gem.