I saw this film at the Rotterdam Film Festival and really liked it. It is very compelling, dreamlike and looks beautiful. At moments also strange with looping and repeating dialogue.
During a romantic surprise night in a candle lit abandoned house, a young man (Slater) sees his girlfriend abducted by masked raiders. One of the raiders dies and at closer inspection this person turns out to be identical to the abducted girlfriend. This is how Slater gets introduced to Brand New U, a company that looks for identicals for clients who are seeking a new and better life. Slater was at the wrong place at the wrong time, otherwise he would have had a new replacement girl friend without knowing. The film follows Slater and how he encounters other versions of himself and of his lost girlfriend, until finally he turns from victim to perpetrator and shows himself the stronger Slater.
The film deals with a lot of issues of our times: identity and uniqueness, the need to discover/assert who you are and also how we struggle through life looking for the right partner. The levels of frustration of the main character are very recognizable, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, mostly both simultaneously. This is not a film where the hero takes down the evil corporation, but if you are OK with that you will have a great time.
During a romantic surprise night in a candle lit abandoned house, a young man (Slater) sees his girlfriend abducted by masked raiders. One of the raiders dies and at closer inspection this person turns out to be identical to the abducted girlfriend. This is how Slater gets introduced to Brand New U, a company that looks for identicals for clients who are seeking a new and better life. Slater was at the wrong place at the wrong time, otherwise he would have had a new replacement girl friend without knowing. The film follows Slater and how he encounters other versions of himself and of his lost girlfriend, until finally he turns from victim to perpetrator and shows himself the stronger Slater.
The film deals with a lot of issues of our times: identity and uniqueness, the need to discover/assert who you are and also how we struggle through life looking for the right partner. The levels of frustration of the main character are very recognizable, sometimes funny, sometimes painful, mostly both simultaneously. This is not a film where the hero takes down the evil corporation, but if you are OK with that you will have a great time.