Transfer (2010)

Why so much hype?

Simply A Masterpiece

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

To the reviewer who gave this film 1/10 because you disagreed with the morality of choices made by the characters: are we serious right now? Transfer is obviously meant to be an imperfect world, wherein difficult and sometimes amoral choices are made. Would you kill someone to save your life partner? In the end it doesn't matter, because I'm not writing a review about you. You call it modern slavery? I can call Gataca modern eugenics, that doesn't mean it deserves 1/10. That out of the way: transfer is a good film with tight sound design and crisp shooting, pulled together with the kind of style we've come to expect from modern sci-fi like Ex Machina. The story is engaging, as well as being controversial and even sometimes bizarre. Unfortunately, the ending fails to tie everything together in a satisfying manner, leaving the cute and happy romance bubble burst in the last few minutes of the film. That aside, transfer is by no means a bad film. I give it a 7.5/10 on its own merits alone. The 10/10 is to help offset the horrid 1/10 I don't feel it deserved.

This was an excellent transhumanist sci-fi venture. For the most part subtle, controlled performances by the four protagonists. The cold, sterile tone throughout is fitting given the ethically and racially charged content. It might be tempting for some reviewers to dismiss the race issues in the film as a status quo 'bad rich whites exploit minorities' trope, but the nuanced emotional turmoil portrayed by the leads is enough to discount this claim. It's not just a movie about the evils of capitalism and modern slavery; it's about mortality, cowardice, sacrifice, empathy and love. Other reviews have also made comparisons to Gattica, but as a hard-sci-fi nerd, I have to say that this movie made Gattica look like a cheap, chintzy romance. My only qualm was that one of the supporting cast plays a somewhat hokey character, but this slightly off-kilter performance is negligible. I rate the film 8/10 because in its own way, Transfer was nearly as good as the best sci-fi movies in recent memory. Granted, it doesn't have the aesthetically thrilling special effects -not to mention the warm, fuzzy nostalgic franchise value- of J. J. Abrams' Star Trek, nor the romance of Another Earth, nor the starry glamour of Melancholia, nor the gritty horror of Looper... but Transfer does things differently and in the end, the low-budget realism of this movie takes the effect of a slowly burrowing sort of psychological foreboding more akin to Primer. What it lacks in action, it makes up for in philosophy. Of course, it's not a 10/10 dynamite classic of Blade Runner-esque or, say, The Empire Strikes Back calibre, but it is good.Poster: http://extreme-down.com/uploads/posts/2012- 01/1325797360_transfer-french-dvdrip.jpg

***This one has Spoilers*** Watched this movie and i am not sure what to make of it... In short, Poor black people are offered the chance to let old rich white people take over their bodies by means of transferring the minds of the white folks. The people involved, black and white, are given a contract and if agreed mind transfer takes place voluntary. The minds of the black people is allowed the take over for 4 hours at night. The hosts fall in love to the very dislike of the white peoples minds. Herrmann, the old white guy, describes this as. "While we sleep, Herrmann and Anna, those Ni**ers f*ck with each other..." So Sarah, the host woman, gets pregnant. Now this is also disliked by Apolain, host body to Hermann's mind.Here already is the first question for me. If this should become reality, shouldn't it be made sure that racism isn't an issue? Now Anna/Sarah stops taking her medication so Sarah can speak during the day with Herrmann, which they then stop taking altogether later in the movie.The hosts, Apolain and Sarah, forge a plan to escape all this. Also if the medication isn't taken the host mind seems to prevail during the day.The movie has taken a turn for the ridiculous and all it seems to amount to and serves is, an exercise in intellectual masturbation.The movie to me portrays just another form and new way of slavery. After all, in this movie, poor humans from third world countries are exploited so that white rich people may extend their lives. It utterly escapes me at which point this movie is meant to be intellectual stimulating.Moving on, Hermman and Anna are running into problems because they are now black. Hermann is being told that members of his sports club are complaining about his appearance. What did he expect? Sarah gets complexes about her baby, will it be hers or Anna's... ? Later in the movie...Sarah/Anna still pregnant, goes to Menzana, the company which transfers the minds, with Hermann. There they are shown how their child will look like. Anna throws in the question who's child it will be. And they have to make up their minds, because the next day the three months are up. At which point the original bodies will be cremated. Next day they return and sign the documents. Both haven't taken their medication. So Sarah compliments Dr. Menzel (or Mengele?) about the sculptures on her table. Same compliment was given by Anna in the beginning. Thus they are being found out, also the company installed security cameras in their home and of course witnessed them not playing ball. Big fuss ensues from Apolain how evil the company is, bla bla. Bearing in mind that all four involved had been fully informed what is going down on them.In the end. The minds are being transferred back to Hermann and Anna. Host Bodies are being restored to before, baby is being aborted, company wins. Hermann doesn't quite make it and dies during or after the transfer. Anna, which has cancer survives him. I suppose that is the twist in the movie...While there is definitely potential in the story it, it could have been better if the portrayal of the technology would have been more on the positive side of things. E.g. Person born with blindness or other crippling conditions would be able to use a healthy body.All this drivel achieves is showing the ignorance of the characters of the white rich people, the willingness of those people/characters to enslave other bodies for their benefit, the oldest sins committed in the newest ways, and drivel is set in a country which should know better to start with, but then what country could be better? The acting is fine to me. Purely the premise is rubbish to me, with that 1 star.Maybe i'm taking this with a to realistic view on things portrayed in this movie? But I am wondering, if a movie would be made about the bodies of Jews being used by German minds, if people would find it equally stimulating as said here? Somehow doubt it though.It can only be hoped that this stays science fiction.

Saw this movie at the bifff (Brussels International Fantastic Film festival). This is truly an exceptional movie and a must see for anyone who likes sci-fi with brains. It is about an old couple that joins a program to transfer their brain to the young body of some third world people. It is about racism, how money makes the world turn and imagines a modern version of slavery. You get to see everyone's point of view : the rich German couple, the people that are around them, as well as the view from the people selling their body for money for their family The actors do a very good job in their dual role (before and after the transfer)I really loved the soundtrack, hope that it will be on sale someday.