This under-the-radar effort from English director Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People) is a near-future dystopia where biology rules: in the form of "viruses" that can facilitate or replace human endeavour (learn Chinese, be more empathic, play better football), and where human cloning is prevalent but reproduction and travel are strictly controlled. Here, William (Tim Robbins) is an empath investigating contraband travel documents, but instead of nabbing guilty party Maria (Samantha Morton), he falls in love. Winterbottom creates a remarkable future world of technological advancement and economic disparity that's more cynical than Spielberg's Minority Report, but that similarly monitors all aspects of human endeavour, even the most private. (MGM/UA)
Code 46
Michael Winterbottom
BY James KeastPublished Sep 1, 2004