Code 46

If we knew in advance what our actions would lead to, would we have the courage to do anything at all? Michael Winterbottom has several times reinforced my opinion that he ranks among today’s most remarkable European filmmakers. Among other things, Code 46 is a sci-fi movie (in the same sense that The Godfather is a movie about family) and its genetic code contains so many questions and topical issues that you can get more out of it than you would from a month of reading the daily press. It just depends on you. The framework of the story comprises a modernised version of 1984. The way that society works in Code 46 is a few orders of magnitude more terrifying than that outlined by Orwell and also comes closer to today’s polarised world. The film doesn’t falter under the weight of the numerous issues that it raises, but is rather told with a wonderful lightness and I wished that there had been more of the actionless shots underscored with heavenly music. The non-futuristic, informal speech of Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton makes the story comprehensible and enables us to observe a simple romance in the second plane. But it wouldn’t be Winterbottom if he didn’t sneak a bit of metaphysics and metaphor into the film. Yes, this is one of those films in which sex means more than just sex –  consider for yourself if you want to see it. For myself, I say “yes”. At least one more time. 85% (27.10.2011)

The ethereal fusion of image and music has an almost hypnotic effect on the viewer, but I certainly wouldn't see that progressiveness in form (Gattaca) or content (12 Monkeys). Emotionally, Code 46 is as cold as a piece of ice, which is unfortunately aided by the most important element, i.e., the completely inappropriate casting of the main characters. Their chemistry with each other is an absolutely perfect destroyer of any viewer empathy, as Robbins' detective looks too old next to the young Morton (whose boyish "look" made me not want to trust that femininity even in the moment of her exposed lap), which makes their love scenes have the same (un)sympathetic effect as the Hopkins-Kidman pairing in the snobby art film The Human Stain. It’s an unexceptional story whose soundtrack actually makes a much stronger impression. (18.12.2006)

If you're expecting a dull, albeit smart, art film wrapped in an appealing jacket rather than something in the vein of Minority Report, you've come to the right place. (19.09.2004)

It's such a peculiar film that isn't quite easy to digest, but it's not that terrible either. The plot is quite linear. It simply tells about a society that is very specific and the people who live in it, with their own possibilities and needs. Their relationships are new, different, and sex is understood differently here. Fantastic - and daring - acting performances within a self-contained world that is truly unique. These are the main assets of the film. (05.04.2015)