Able Edwards (2004)

That was an excellent one.

Fantastic!

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Stumbled across this recently on netflix. In a nutshell, a "Walt Disney" like creator is revived from cold storage via complex cloning to assume control of the company he created over a hundred years ago. The idea alone intrigued me but it was the execution of the tale that floored me. From the acting (flawless) to the script (a tidy tale of "be careful what you wish for you just may get it.")loaded with twists and turns to the outstanding CGI backgrounds that give the film a rich science fiction flavor.This is a must see for intelligent film fans of science fiction. Add a dash of Citizen Kane, an amusing parody on Disney and the ethical question, is a clone a real person or the property of those who created it.Abel Edwards will make you believe. And you better believe ten years from now this will achieve cult status.

Story of the life and times of Abel Edwards, or more to the point his clone. The original Edwards was a Walt Disney like film maker/business man who died on the eve of the opening of his Florida theme park. decades later, after mankind has moved into space when a deadly virus reduced human population by 90% the Abel Edwards corporation is floundering. In an effort to get back on track they decide to clone their founder and so begins the life and times of the clone. We watch in flashback the life of the clone Edwards as his life is recounted at a probate hearing concerning his wealth and company.this off beat film with echoes of Disney and Citizen Kane was shot entirely on green screen sets. The fact that I'm recounting that first kind of tells you I'm not particularly fond of the film, since there isn't much to say beyond that. An okay film, that is almost bland. This is the life of a man who is not his own, it's an interesting concept but it never really amounts to much with the story kind or arcing in ways that you can kind of predict. It doesn't help that the green screen sets are unevenly handled and while their use clearly allowed for the film to be made cheaply, the effect is far from realistic.The effect is similar to several films released to DVD by Alpha Video under their New Cinema banner rather than things like Sky Captain, Immortal or any other film shot similarly, However you forgive cheapness in the Alpha titles since they somehow make it charming and here they really don't.Despite some occasionally beautiful black and white images this really doesn't have much to recommend it and given the choice I'd take a pass.(I somehow think that with out Steven Soderbergh's name attached as a producer this film would have been buried)

Able Edwards is a great microcinema achievement. The story is set in a 1950s-looking B&W near-future where earth has become inhabitable. Space colonies float around the earth's orbit. Deceased Media Tycoon Abel Edwards (An inspired mix between Walt Disney and Charles Foster Kane) is brought to life in the form of a clone sampled from the original mogul's body as a desperate attempt from the Edwards Corporation to regain the falling empire's glory.This is basically a 21st century rework on Citizen Kane's story line with sci-fi overtones, introducing the theme of cloning, shot entirely against a green screen against still photography backgrounds (many scanned from a public library) and some occasional 3-D CGI. Sin City's fans will be inspired by the fact that you can actually shoot a whole epic in your living room.However, don't expect Hollywood FX hyperrealist environments, fancy camera moves, or baroque compositions. Director Graham Roberson purposely chose to do every single shot (even those which could have easily been made on location), with a green screen channeled background (whether still photographs, live action footage or CGI). You might say that at times the movie's mise en scene feels static: Some extra layers of compositing (and extra months of work in post) could have added more depth in making some of the photo backgrounds more lively, or create the impression that the camera moves a little more.However this does not detract at all from the story, on the contrary, it might even help it: The result is a prosthetic, unrealistic, yet harmonious, solid and consistent atmosphere that blends very well with the charming 1950s B&W look and epic feel of the piece.The acting complements the mood with effective performances from the whole cast. Scott Kelly Galbreath (Abel Edwards) manages to transport us to another era with his square jaw and Errol Flynn-esquire mustache. Everything here is at the service of conveying an entertaining story that despite the grandeur of the sci-fi aura, deals with the human condition and the concept of individuality: Is the clone going to behave the way the company has conditioned him to be? Or will he develop his own character?The film was executive produced by Steven Sodenbergh, who basically donated his Canon XL-1 and Mac G-4 from Full Frontal. It's easy to see why the project caught his attention. Unlike many low budget sci-fi, this is not so much about the special effects or the action, but about concentrating on telling a engrossing story. Some might say that it follows way too closely that of Citizen Kane to develop its own voice, but I find much more interesting and fresh to imitate the storyline of Kane than that of Star Wars or Halloween. Besides this has the twist cloning, which adds a whole new dimension and makes the character unique.If you love movies you will truly enjoy Able Edwards, as it is an inspiring achievement.

If you haven't seen a picture done with green-screen, see this film. I just saw it at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose. Visually the black and white moody, gauzy tones were so mesmerizing. The story was great - Able Edwards (clone) struggles to find the humanity of life in a world of sterile conveniences. It was a bit distracting at first, because he (Able) looks a lot like Gavin Newsome, our mayor, but...once I got past that. The movie had a great blend of 'cheesy' shots (people shuffling in place trying to give the illusion of moving down a hall), and incredible shots (well, I guess not 'shots', but...how do you describe the building of green-screen backgrounds..?) anyway...amazing looking at the 'ruins' of a Disneyland-like park. Creepy, sad, moving. What a great film! Something about it in the theater though...it was quite pixilated(?) at time...or something... We were joking that it would be great to see it on the 'small' screen some day :)