AWAKE

AWAKE is a psychological thriller about a medical occurrence called “anesthetic awareness.” Every year, 21 million patients are put under anesthesia for surgery, and every year 30,000 people, although physically paralyzed, remain fully conscious while in surgery.

In this sad, depressing story, viewers catch their first glimpse of the main character Clay Beresford, whose role is depicted by a rather unconvincing Hayden Christensen, holding his breath in a bathtub with a hopeless expression on his face. Perhaps his hopelessness stems from his deteriorating heart condition. While he waits for a worthy heart donor, Clay becomes romantically involved with his mother’s beautiful assistant, Samantha Lockwood, played by Jessica Alba. They hide their year-long relationship from his mother, Lilith Beresford, a role played by Lena Olin, who seems to be the only actor able to bring some sort of depth to this movie.

Clay finally decides to tell his mother about his secret relationship with Sam and is met with disbelief and anger. In response to her reaction, Clay and Sam decide to get married. The marriage ceremony is depicted with Christian elements tied into it, although the implied fornication between the two characters leaves little room for doubt that neither of them uphold this worldview.

As the story plays out, Clay receives a heart donor and undergoes the necessary transplant surgery. During the course of the surgery, Clay remains consciously awake, although his body is paralyzed, unbeknownst to his team of doctors. In this state of consciousness, he discovers his doctors are plotting to kill him.

The plot becomes very patchy as the movie jumps from one scene to another. In fact, the movie concludes in a way that contradicts the whole premise of the movie, unless of course the writers were trying to shoot for a sense of irony, which they failed to do. One almost thinks that the decision to cast Jessica Alba in this movie was done so in the hopes that her fame and allure would draw a larger audience to come see it.

One positive aspect about AWAKE is the way in which the writer reveals information about the characters in bits and pieces, rather than revealing who they are and their connections to one another all at once. This aspect makes the movie more interesting, although ultimately leaving the viewer asking questions about the characters that the movie is unable to resolve.

AWAKE has a strong pagan worldview, unredeemable even with the elements of Christianity in the wedding and the funeral portrayed in the story. The strong language and implied sexuality make it a cautionary movie. As a whole, the movie is not worthy of the regular or bargain matinee prices a person would spend to see it in theaters.