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IMPOSTER
review by CJ Henderson
REVIEW: IMPOSTER is a small masterpiece of paranoia, which comes as no great surprise to anyone who knows that the film is based on "Imposter" the 1952 short story written by the master of such fiction, Philip K. Dick. Dick, the author whose frightening tales of self-doubt and reality-twisting were the basis for both "Total Recall" and "Bladerunner," was one of the first authors to blast open the genre of science fiction, taking it from the realm of rocket ships and laser duels into vast new psychological and philosophical depths. He is the grandfather of the cyber-punk movement that, fifty years later, is all around us in film and on the tube. So, the idea for this film comes from promising beginnings. But, you ask, how good is the film, itself--especially considering that it started out as a half-hour short that was expanded to feature length? The answer is - pretty darn good. To list its good points, let's start by saying that the special effects are terrific. The sci-fi look not only holds together throughout, but it is cleverly crafted to reflect a Philip K. Dick-frame of mind. The grasping, spider-like qualities to some of the machinery would have pleased the late author to no end. The
film has a great cast, all of whom do a great job. Besides
Director Gary Felder ("Things To Do in Denver When You're Dead," "Don't Say A Word") did an excellent job in turning Dick's grim vision of a post-apocalyptic future into a film. It's concepts, though complicated, are easily understood as the story unfolds. He moves the tale from a charming, desirable love story into a fast-paced action thriller with such a smooth shift of the gears that Spenser's past is obliterated in the minds of the audience without a second thought. He also manages to capture the flavor of the twists and turns of Dick's story as completely as any filmmaker ever has. And those twists and turns are what this film really has going for it. They are plentiful and gasp-provoking. Indeed, there are so many moments in the film that jump one's tension level that when they aren't there, the film almost seems to drag. Almost. The wrap up - Yes, the movie does seem to slow down at some points, but it always picks up again. On top of that, it is almost guaranteed that no one is going to be able to predict the ending before it is right on top of them. This is a clever, fast-moving, dazzling flick, based on a story by one of the founding fathers of modern science fiction. It is not a major movie, but well worth seeing on the big screen. OFFICIAL
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SYNOPSIS:
It's 2079 and the Earth has been at war with aliens from Alpha Centauri
for over a decade. They are a relentless enemy that has stolen the
sky from humanity by forcing everyone to live under massive, city-covering
electronic shields. Humanity's best hope for the future is Spenser
Olham (Gary Sinise), a scientist whose work promises to turn the
tide of the war. On the day his ultimate weapon is to be tested,
he is suddenly accused of being an enemy robot, smuggled onto Earth
to destroy its planetary leader. These creatures are sent into missions
thinking they are the people they replace. They are merely bombs,
set to go off once they are close to their targets. In other
words, there is no way for Spenser to know if he is a robot or not.
As the film unfolds his struggle to prove his identity, both to
the government and himself, becomes more and more frenzied. His
wife (Madeleine Stowe), a doctor who might be able to prove (or
disprove) his humanity, is his only hope. Standing in their way,
Hathaway (Vincent D'Onofrio), a dedicated government agent who has
captured earlier robots and who is quite certain Spenser is one
as well.