''Possible Worlds'' is a 2000 Canadian
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the 1990
play of the same name
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* Pla ...
by
John Mighton
John Mighton, OC (born October 2, 1957) is a Canadian mathematician, author, and playwright.
Education and career
Mighton was born in Hamilton, Ontario on and lives in Toronto, Ontario with partner Pamela Sinha and daughter Chloe.
In 1998 M ...
.
The film is directed by
Robert Lepage
Robert Lepage (born December 12, 1957) is a Canadian playwright, actor, film director, and stage director.
Early life
Lepage was raised in Quebec City. At age five, he was diagnosed with a rare form of alopecia, which caused complete hair lo ...
,
and stars
and
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...
. The film's musical score is by
George Koller
George Koller (born December 9, 1958) is a Canadian bassist who has played free jazz, folk music, world music, and world fusion.
Career
Koller has worked with Bruce Cockburn, William Beauvais, Holly Cole, Peter Gabriel, Graeme Kirkland, Lore ...
.
Mighton approached Lepage to direct an adaption of his play. Lepage, who had seen a tape of Daniel Brook's minimalistic 1998 production, agreed to the request.
[
] He liked Mighton's combining of art and science and the theme of diverse, multilayered identity.
The Australian film festival ''Possible Worlds'', running since 2006, was named after the film.
Plot synopsis
The film follows the script of the play. George Barber (Tom McCamus) is a mathematician having strange dreams. He continuously meets a woman, Joyce (Tilda Swinton), at a bar. Sometimes, she is a scientist, sometimes she is a stockbroker, and she doesn't seem to remember him from a moment to another. He has also a dream about strange men who move stones here and there on a rocky waterfront. There is a man in this dream, the Guide (Gabriel Gascon), who is also a neuroscientist in real life.
The neuroscientist is interviewed by two detectives (Sean McCann and Rick Miller) about a serial killer stealing the brains of its victims. After agreeing to follow him on a beach, Joyce with George, sees a distant red light flickering on the ocean horizon. In the neuroscientist's lab, many brains are connected to red lights, indicating brain activity. The neuroscientist lies near a machine containing a brain and tries to influence the brain by thoughts.
George goes to see a doctor, who is the neuroscientist, about his strange dreams. The detectives arrest the neuroscientist, now understanding he is the one stealing brains for his experiments on consciousness. George's corpse was found without his brain, which is now kept artificially alive in the machine.
Joyce Barber is told her husband's brain is still alive but experiencing life in a discontinuous dream state. In the final scene, George and Joyce are again reunited on the beach, but this time the red light on the horizon goes out for good. It is suggested the real-life Joyce agreed to end George's consciousness out of compassion.
Awards
Won
* Best Achievement in Art Direction/Production Design -
Genie Awards
The Genie Awards were given out annually by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to recognize the best of Canadian cinema from 1980–2012. They succeeded the Canadian Film Awards (1949–1978; also known as the "Etrog Awards," for scu ...
* Best Achievement in Editing - Genie Awards
* Special Jutra -
Jutra Awards
The Prix Iris is a Canadian film award, presented annually by Québec Cinéma, which recognizes talent and achievement in the mainly francophone feature film industry in Quebec.[Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...]
, the film has an aggregate score of 60% based on 3 positive and 2 negative critic reviews.
References
External links
*
*{{cite web
, first=Magali , last=Simard
, website = tiff.net (Toronto International Film Festival)
, title=Robert Lepage: Possible Worlds (puts film in the context of his oeuvre)
, url=http://live.tiff.net/Event/Robert_Lepage_Possible_Worlds
, archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503061850/http://live.tiff.net/Event/Robert_Lepage_Possible_Worlds
, archivedate=May 3, 2015
English-language Canadian films
Canadian science fiction films
2000 films
Films based on Canadian plays
2000 science fiction films
Canadian romantic fantasy films
Films directed by Robert Lepage
2000s English-language films
2000s Canadian films