Film

Awake (2007)

Director: Joby Harold

Movie review

From Time Out Chicago

22-year-old Clay Beresford (Christensen) has it all: money, power, business savvy, daddy issues, bum ticker. But life at the top stops for no one—a donor heart comes through, and Clay defies his widowed mother’s (Olin) slick-surgeon recommendation, entrusting his friend (Howard) with the cutting. Sam Lockwood (Alba), Clay’s hottie-bo-bottie lady, remains dutifully by his side despite his mother’s disapproval. Surgery begins; Clay’s awake and unable to move, but he sure as hell feels pain. Harold’s film contains well more than enough—that being more than none—of the ensuing mind-screams (“Hey! I’m awake! Aaaaah! That hurts!!!” is near verbatim), and the conspiracy theory against Clay, which he overhears while under the knife, is painstakingly predictable. Still, we can’t deny the flick a few surprises along the way, even if we have to suffer through Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker–on-Valium existence.

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