I watched this film because I generally am a fan of indie style artsy flicks that don’t always go for the mainstream entertainment approach. Having Code 46 follow up to “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” (ESotSM) unfortunately is a big drawback. There are a number of huge similarities that make Code 46 feel almost like a spin off rather than a film in its own right. I wish they had delayed the film’s release even more, because I could not help think about ESotSM when I watched this film.

Code 46 is a science fiction film that thrusts its viewer directly into its “cyberpunk” world from the start. I use cyberpunk because there is a strong feel of globalization, and culture convergence in this world. The viewer is given no real explanation of the meanings of the special “words” being used heavily in the dialogues, the time period, or the kind of technology that exists. The only thing the movie explains from the start is the definition of Code 46, which is that it is a law which prohibits humans with a 50% match in DNA from mating because it is considered incest. With Code 46 in place, government authorities have the right to delete human memories and do abortions in order to prevent such acts from occurring. Code 46 has a fascinating setting. The viewer however, has no idea what is going on. There are a number of terms the viewer must figure out the meaning of in order to understand the plot. The movie expects its viewer to be actively attempting to figure out what’s going on, and as a result, is a bit of a difficult film to watch. The attempt to figure out what is happening is also however, the enjoyable aspect of the movie, since beyond that, there is not much driving the movie’s plot.

That said, the basic plot resonates of ESotSM, but as a whole, the movie is clearly trying to provide a different message on the idea of memory manipulation. William (Tim Robbins) is an investigator trying to find out who is forging “papelles”. I won’t tell you what that is so you can figure it out for yourself. William finds out that Maria (Samantha Morton) is the culprit but rather than turning her in, he falls in love with her. Because he is infected with an empathy virus, William can “read minds” which may have somewhat been a reason why he took to her, because he could “feel” how she fell in love with him. Another possibility is that their genetic code makes them similar and thereby compatible, so it becomes like a forbidden love. The problem with the whole situation though is not only is William is a married man with a son out of Shanghai, he is breaking violations by not turning her in, and as they later find out, they are violating the Code 46. As you might have guessed there is some mind tampering that goes on as a result of Code 46, and the rest of the film’s final half shadows ESotSM with the idea of love and memory tampering as a consequence. The ending though, is rather different. Rather than believing in an imperfect love as it seems to be in the case in ESotSM. Code 46 seems far more critical and skeptical of human love’s ability to overcome the controlling forces of technology.

The music even at times sounds similar to ESotSM, hauntingly slow soundings of piano notes, matched with the cinematography, in which the camera work seemingly glides along as the main actors traverse the blurry gleaming night lights of Shanghai. The shots of William riding in the car resonate curiously of touches of “Lost in Translation” and of scenes from ESotSM where the main actor contemplates his own seeming escape from their seemingly dull trapped futures while the city night lights streak past in the glass reflections.

Despite the heavy comparisons to ESotSM, don’t get me wrong. Code 46 is a strong film in its own rights. It is chockfull of interesting ideas, from the convergence of multiple languages to coincide as a common future tongue, and the separation of the global world through special “visas”. The film takes all the beautiful concepts from grand science fiction classics like “Blade Runner” and paints a rather bland, real image of the future not too far from here.

But what Code 46 lacks in, is suspense, and at times the film’s already slow pace can crawl to a halting stop. There is no real mystery to be solved, no sudden revelation that takes place from the start to finish. Code 46 simply raises questions on humanity’s future with the advent of genetics, and toys with some future implications by taking the viewer on a kind of joyride glimpse at a love affair gone sour. The idea of Code 46 is an improbable one, but the fact there is this 1% glimmer of possibility that something could turn out this way, makes the movie evocatively intriguing.

Viewers of this film will either love or hate it, for its artistic realism. For the casual viewer, this film is not really worth it. I found the long drawn out camera shots painfully dull at times, and the sterile dialogue, neutral of all tension, only seemed to tire me out. However, for those with perhaps the eye to debate such ideas and need a starting point for a deeply engrossing conversation on genetics, or maybe enjoy the kind of “mind manipulation” films that seem to defy our current movie genres, Code 46 is another toss at the idea of memory manipulation, and escaping from the monotony of the norm. If it were not for its release near the release of ESotSM, might I say, it would have been a creative and artistic delight.

Recommended: No