Final Cut (2004) (Review)

Final Cut is a really classy film made in 2004 and technologically advanced as far as the microchip implants in that record/plays back/deletes a person’s memory. Robin plays a “memory cutter” who can edit a person’s memory (good or bad) for a hefty fee. Unfortunately, shady people can use this technology to hide the ugly truth. Too bad Final Cut is not as well known as Black Mirror streaming series. 

Robin Williams was one of my favourite actors, as he always managed to surprise the audience with his originality, humour and depth. Robin Williams’s character in Final Cut says to a bookseller, played by Mira Sorvino, “Delila, about suicide, do you have any good stuff (books on the topic)?” And knowing the actor took his own life ten years later is a very sad fact. 

I’ve read the negative reviews, saying that Robin played badly or that he played the same guy for several years, that his change of register seemed definitive. But well… I’m not here to talk about all the nonsense I’ve read that is good to throw in the trash. 

I found these two positive reviews very interesting and rather accurate: 

1). By the way…. The text of the summary above does not really reflect the real content of the film. It’s a very distorted view (or only part of it) that makes the film look like an average mainstream film, which it absolutely *ISN’T*. This is largely due to the editor (Robin Williams) himself, who is in fact always at the center, but the other aspects of the film are not neglected and the story is still very captivating and interesting. One part that made the biggest impression on me was the one with the daughter, the granddaughter of the deceased (very disturbing, sad and raw), you really get the rage in your stomach! Few films manage to do that. All this makes the film very special and well worth seeing. Robin Williams makes it all perfect with an impressive and very believable interpretation of the character “Alan Hackman”.

2). A solid material….Wow! Really impressive! Makes you think a lot. Very sad. The ending is extremely sudden and relatively unexpected. It feels like the film is somehow “unfinished”, but surprisingly, after a few minutes of absorbing what I saw, I couldn’t imagine a more perfect ending. Just fit…. stunning, raw (*not* in the way of Requiem for a Dream or anything… in another very particular genre), dark, sad, reflective and awesome.

That’s it! I think that says it all. There is the ambiguity of whether the main character is a good or bad person. And that can create some essential debates. Namely, “Can we turn a blind eye when we know a crime has been committed?” The debate is on !!!

A great film that should have reached the cult status of “Blade Runner”.  Maybe one day. 🙂

My rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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