The film "Clone" has little action and fantasy, but a lot of reflection on the meaning of life

On May 19, the film "Clone" is released in Russian cinemas. It was directed by a little-known director Riley Stearns, but the main roles were played by actors who knew each other very well. series fans: Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame and Breaking Bad star Aaron Floor.

But even with these artists, the film would probably have passed unnoticed if it were not for the disappearance of most Western blockbusters from Russian distribution. And in a strange way, the very fact that The Clone is one of the few major Hollywood releases can spoil the attitude towards the picture.

Trailers and descriptions serve Stearns' work almost like a fantastic action movie. But in fact, this is a leisurely indie drama about finding a purpose in life. Therefore, the experience will greatly depend on the expectations of the viewer: it can seem like an empty shell, in which they forgot to add action, and a touching drama.

The film "Clone" has a well-developed unusual world

Sarah (Karen Gillan) lives in a world very similar to ours. The girl is in constant depression, almost does not communicate with her mother, and in the evenings overeats with fast food and watches porn. Feeling ill, Sarah goes to the doctor and learns that she is terminally ill. This is where the main difference between the cinema world and reality is revealed: here people can make a “replacement” - order a clone for themselves, which will remain with their loved ones after their death.

Indistinguishable doubles are born with a completely pure consciousness, and the original needs to teach them its habits. The heroine does the same: she receives her slightly defective copy (the twin has eyes of a different color) and begins to educate her.

However, gradually the clone captures the whole world of Sarah: she steals the girl's boyfriend and establishes communication with her mother. Meanwhile, the heroine herself finds out that she has been cured. But only one Sara can remain, so the old and new versions must fight for the right to life.

The concept of doubles that collide with the originals is one of the popular and even hackneyed topics in science fiction. For example, not so long ago there was a failed action movie "Gemini", the horror film" Us ", the series" Get along with yourself "with Paul Rudd. And director Riley Stearns was clearly aware of this when inviting Karen Gillan to play the lead role. After all, all Doctor Who fans remember how the actress played an older version of herself in the episode "The Girl Who waited”, the robot-double of her heroine in the series “Let's kill Hitler” and talked about the soul of clones in “Rebellious flesh." That is for the fans. british legend This is literally another episode of my favorite series.

And first of all, in this story, it is the idea that pleases. Unlike the conventional "Black Mirror", here they do not just show a world where everyone can create their own copy (otherwise it would have turned out like in "The SimpsonsThe Simpsons - An army of Homer clones / YouTube”- everyone would start to mindlessly multiply themselves), but they are trying to at least somehow logically substantiate their legal status.

The production of clones is limited, firstly, by law: only a dying person can order it. Secondly, very high cost: how many will want to spend so much money on something that will be important only after their death? And even in the exceptional case that happened to Sarah, there is a rule. Strange and very controversial, but there is. Moreover, the ambiguity is added by the fact that the heroine herself must pay for the existence of a copy that plans to kill her.

At the same time, the creators of "Clone" do not send the viewer into a fantastic future. Apart from the presence of clones, Sarah lives in the most ordinary and familiar world, where they drive gasoline cars, watch DVDs and eat fast food. This approach makes the plot of the film more understandable. It seems that something similar can happen now: who knows what modern genetics has come to.

"Clone" treats morality outside the box

The film also takes the very meaning of meeting with a double not from fantastic action films, but from more dramatic plots. Even in the aforementioned comedy Getting on with Yourself, Rudd's character at some point realized that his copy was indeed better than the original in every way. From which the question arose: is he really worthy to take his place simply by the right of conditional "primogeniture"?

In the horrorWeThe final twist showed that the positive character and the villain can change places. And in Doctor Who, the protagonist made such a move to verify his identity.

"Clone" seems to continue these ideas. But at some point it turns the story in exactly the opposite way. If the copy completely repeats the character of Sarah, and she also raised her herself, it would be strange if from double turned out to be a different person. As a result, the clone literally repeats the fate of the original.

Moreover, the film unobtrusively makes you think that, envying other people, we notice their advantages and our shortcomings. But in fact, the copy of Sarah has not mastered many elementary things. She just has more energy at first to express herself.

But gradually they both become really the same. And so the finale of the film looks more philosophical than dramatic. After all, what difference does it make which of them will live if the differences are imperceptible?

There is little action in the picture, but it is intended

If you watch the trailer, it will certainly seem that "Clone" is a rather dynamic story about a girl who has to fight in the arena with her doppelgänger. A sort of "Mad Max - 3: Under Thunderdome", but in realistic scenery.

Moreover, on the covers of some rollersClone - Russian Trailer #2 / YouTube Karen Gillan flaunts in a latex suit with an axe. It's just that she doesn't show up like that at all. The star of "Divergent" Theo James, to whom almost a third of promotional materials are devoted, will completely flicker for a couple of minutes in the introduction.

Alas, this is what can confuse and even anger some viewers. Therefore, it is better to understand in advance that the "Clone" will play a dark joke on the cliché fantastic films and not follow them.

Compared to other films, The Clone is more of a Lobster than The Hunger Games.

Having received another year, the heroine at first simply watches how she is squeezed out of her own life. Then she finds out that she has recovered, and prepares for a fight: she is looking for a mentor and devotes a lot of time to training. It is here that the action turns into a frank parody of many action films about martial arts, where the hero, under the guidance of an experienced warrior, turns into a killing machine.

Here, the preparation methods will be strange, up to watching stupid and bloody films, and even paying when Sarah runs out of money - this is perhaps the cutest scene with Aaron Paul.

However, all this will not lead to some kind of epic ending: the action will not turn into bloody mess. And there is no deceit in this. After all, the same thing would happen in life as with the main character. Come to think of it, by the time both versions of Sarah are about to head to the field, the battle is long overdue.

The most important thing is not to expect from the "Clone" a dynamic plot and elements of a fantastic action movie. This film is not so much about the struggle for life, but about the search for meaning in it. And this distinguishes the picture from many similar plots. After all, despite the fact that the action takes place in an unusual world, both the characters and the events seem very familiar. Therefore, it is very easy to understand and feel this tape.