Desejos Ocultos

The poignant portrayal of Henry by Steven Strait makes the movie surprisingly affecting.

Two of the most annoying people alive endure the First World Problem of making so much money that they need servants to take care of all the things they have. When the wife "frees" the maid, they decide to replace her with a robot.

The film asks us at what cost do we enjoy cheap clothing made by children, fast food made by single mothers, IPhones made by Chinese workers under such pressure that they kill themselves, and Guatemalan immigrants who face death trying to get here so that they can clean our houses. Do we think about how they feel? No. We pretend that they have no feelings, and deny our own complicity in their pain.

Is this movie perfect? No, but it will stay with you after the closing credits.

Forget the crap reviews and watch it.

If anything, this movie really makes you think about humanity in an unconventional way. The plot, although not without its flaws, is intriguing and original. I for one enjoyed the ending, although it could have been made more believable with some minor plot devices and addition of some small scenes (read the spoiler reviews if you want to know more).

The main characters were all certainly eye candy, and although their dialogue was a bit stilted at times, all actors did a commendable job. Particularly enjoyed the performance of Steven Strait, which was integral in tipping this film into the territory of a quality watch. No one can play an android with the panache of Michael Fassbender's David, but I think Strait did an admirable job.

You will encounter one of the most annoyingly written characters in Sofie, but if you can get beyond that, this is actually a very solid philosophical sci-fi. Certainly ranks much higher than its current rating of 5.4.

The movie has quite some interesting ideas and notions. It does try to paint a picture where the humans are flawed ... to contrast the ... well "not human" they get to help them out. But is he helping them out or are they helping him? And what could be considered help anyway? So many questions outside the philosophical and ethical ones ... not that many are answered clearly. You'll be the judge.

Not perfect by a long shot, but intriguing to say the least. Watch it if you are into Science Fiction - acting is ok too.

With a little refinement this low-budget sexy sci-fi movie could have been seriously gripping and ultimately shocking. The central premise about interactions between humans and robots is intriguing and thought-provoking. It's offers some creepily sensual scenarios. The leads are good - especially Steven Strait as the robot, Henry. And it delivers some strong surprise twists toward the end. It's just a shame that the story is undermined by a sluggish start and a particularly annoying characterisation of the wife, Sofie, who is infuriatingly unlikeable. For the most part, however, it's quite well written - although the final plot twists needed more finessing. Still, worth a look.

Overall an original and striking film. There are certain scenes where the script is brilliant and it is a film that really makes some interesting points. Flow is good, though some bits seem stilted...like the business which we never really know what it does and never see more than a handful of people in. Despite this, the main actors are good and the twist is excellent and unexpected. I wish they had done the build up and reveal better, and not had much film after the twist was revealed as it would have had greater impact.

But anyway, worth the watch.