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38
12 Rounds Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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Code 46
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MPAA RATING: R for a scene of sexuality, including brief graphic nudity
Starring Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Om Puri, Jeanne Balibar, Essie Davis, Nina Fog, Togo Igawa, and Emil Marwa
A love story set in an eerily possible near-future where cities are heavily controlled and only accessible through checkpoints. (United Artists)
| GENRE(S): | Romance | Sci-fi |
| WRITTEN BY: | Frank Cottrell Boyce |
| DIRECTED BY: | Michael Winterbottom |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: December 28, 2004 Theatrical: August 6, 2004 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 92 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | UK |
Nominated, Golden Lion, 2003 Venice Film Festival
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 6.3 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Ilona C. gave it an8:
The main charaters of the film where well portrayed. They where not ultra sexy or blindingly physically attractive and that's the appeal. They are normal people set in an oppressive world where the over use of cloning and ivf leads to the need for a law called code 46. I won't spoil the movies end but will say it's beautifully shot, subtle elegant story-telling takes the viewer on a ride to a disturbingly realistic vision of the future with its center being the hopless ill fated love story .
Paul C. gave it an8:
A fascinating blend of music, photography and action create a film in many ways redolent of Wenders' Until the End of the World.
Ground F. gave it a7:
I'll never forget the world of Code 46. Unfortunately, the film is ruined by two dull characters and the dullest love affair imaginable. The characters are atypically boring. Incredibly boring. There's no real spontaneity in the relationship. The conversation that passes between the characters is almost mindless in its banality. Other than that, they make love. That is the relationship. I don't want to post spoilers, [***SPOILERS***] but the tragedy of their relationship is that there isn't much for them to lose. There was so much potential for this film. In my opinion, the world of Code 46 is as good as any that has been created in cinema. Unfortunately, the two main characters are impossibly dull; their affair is almost perversely dull. Code 46 has moments of real beauty that, in my opinion, eclipses all the things that make this film quite frustrating. It left a lasting impression on me and in a few months I will watch it again.
Ivan J. gave it a1:
Honestly, one of the worst films I've seen in the last five years. Utterly fails to redeem its promise. It's beautifully shot - I mean, gorgeously - but the problems are legion and sink it before it's half over. The central issue is (as others here have noted) that the couple at the film's heart makes absolutely no sense. There's zero chemistry between Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton, so there's also zero logic to their ostensibly rapid descent into obsession. Morton is just awful, here, and the sex scenes in particular were hard to take. (Tim Robbins is likeable, but the character is underwritten, giving him little to work with but a single bit of shtick that is old the second time you see it.) The worst thing is that Code 46 insists, every thirty seconds or so, on reminding you of all the vastly superior films it's derived from and to the position of which it so clearly wishes to aspire - Alphaville, Gattaca, and (Tarkovsky's) Solaris in particular. Awful, simply awful.
Richard S. gave it a4:
As others have posted, this is a mix of Blade Runner, Gattaca, Cypher, Eternal Sunshine, Solaris etc - but it's nothing like as good as any of those films. The sci-fi elements are poorly developed and go nowhere. Everything is subsumed within the central "romance". I use inverted commas as the relationship between Morton and Robbins is hideous. There is zero chemistry, which is hardly surprising since both actors specialise in flatlining performances (I really like Morton - I have been a fan since she was a kid in an episode of Cracker in the early 90s, but really, these shaven-headed, sleepy-eyed, dozy performances are getting annoying now...). The sex scenes between Morton and Robbins made me gag - since there is no chemstry or spark between the couple, and absolutely no sex appeal, it's hard to see them "get passionate" on a regular basis - it was all wrong. Don't get me wrong, this film could have worked, with a better cast, or more particularly, a different leading man. The sci-fi elements should also have been more clearly addressed. I should add I liked the soundtrack - very similar to Solaris tho not as good. The direction was also very good (though Greengrass' obsession with hand-held cameras is tiring), shame he couldn't tell a better story.
Kevin H. gave it a7:
I think the director did an incredible job. I loved the way it was shot. The scifi world they created was also awesome. But I think the story was way too subtle and wasn't clear enough.
Matt K gave it a10:
I loved this movie. Thoughtful and dense, and full of quiet passion about loving near strangers. It's steady and gorgeous.
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