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Date: 8/24/2021
On Paramount+: “Infinite”
The premise of this film is an interesting one: how would you react if you couldn’t really die and you remember all of your past lives? In the case of this film, those people who have reincarnated many times are divided into two groups. The Believers work to help humanity as it can, while the Nihilists are so sick of being reincarnated and remembering everything they work to end all life on Earth.
Mark Wahlberg stars as Evan, a man who has suffered from what appears to be schizophrenia. He has random memories that make no sense in the context of his life and has skills, such as knowing how to make a traditional Japanese sword that he can’t explain. He doesn’t know it as yet, but he is being closely watched by Bathurst, (played with great vigor by Chlwetel Ejiofor) the leader of the Nihilists.
In his previous life, Evan stole a weapon developed by the Nihilists that would end all life –animal and plant – and hid it. Bathurst wants to capture Evan and force him to reveal the weapon, but The Believers want to shelter Evan until his full memories have been restored. They want to destroy the weapon.
Handsomely produced and directed with an eye for action and suspense by Antoine Fuqua, “Infinite” has the look and feel of the start of a franchise. Once scheduled for theatrical release, Paramount instead decided to put this on its paid streaming service, which might indicate a lack of confidence in the film’s ability to attract a theatrical audience.
That’s too bad, as the film is designed for the big screen and it was interesting enough to hold my attention.
There’s a real “Matrix” feel to this film as you have two entities vying for control of a world that has little idea the two sides even exist. The effort to restore Evan’s memories reminded me of Neo’s training in the first “Matrix” film. The fate of everything living thing on the planet rests on his shoulders.
Performance-wise, Wahlberg makes an adequate hero but not necessarily a distinctive one. I’ve always thought his strength was in roles with some element of comedy. His character is supposed to inspire not just his fellow Believers but also the audience. Ejiofor, as the villain, seems to be having a lot of fun as the self-loathing Bathurst who lives in great splendor but hates his existence.
The climax is the way over the top type of story-telling we’ve come to expect from big screen science fiction. It is of course pretty ridiculous, but just roll with it.
If you have Paramount+, “Infinite” is not a bad way to spend your time.
On Netflix: “Mischa and the Wolves”
This is an amazing story, but of course not for the reason you have been led to believe.
A Holocaust survivor living in Massachusetts recalls her story of WWII to her synagogue. She reveals that after her parents disappeared from their native Belgium, a person in her foster family told her they had been taken to Germany.
The seven-year-old child then undertook walking from Belgium to Germany, staying in the forests to avoid detection. It was there she was adopted by a pack of wolves who helped feed her and protect her.
It’s sounds amazing but the woman known as Mischa seemed remarkably sincere and backed her story up with photos from her past.
A small publisher heard of the story and commissioned an autobiography from Mischa. Disney even came knocking looking for movie rights. Then, something happened and the question arose: is this all true?
What makes this film so interesting is that it defies your expectations. There are several major twists in the story that are completely unexpected.
I knew nothing about the film and I was sincerely shocked by the turn of the events it portrays.
If you’re looking for something that will undoubtedly spur a healthy after-film discussion about the nature about truth and belief, this film is the one for you.