PaycheckIf our past is a collection of memories, then what does that make the future? For Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck), a "reverse engineer" of high-tech computers and other intellectual property, his ability to assemble a system from an almost incomprehensible sequence of events makes him sought after by corporations looking to gain an economic edge. But the cost for Michael is that his memories are wiped clean following his commission as a part of his non-disclosure agreement. When a once-in-a-lifetime job for secretive billionaire James "Jimmy" Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart) ends up making Michael a wanted man for a crime he doesn't remember committing, in order to unlock the past, he must predict the future.
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Paycheck is a science-fiction and action film, with elements of mystery running through its veins. The movie was adapted from a short story by acclaimed author of visionary science fiction, Philip K. Dick. Like many films adapted from his stories, Paycheck banks strongly toward adrenaline-fueled thrills and suspense. Themes like technology altering our perception of established elements in the fabric of reality is consistent with these adaptations. The predominance of augmented reality, near-future tech, and sleek future paranoia, is also seen in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, while the idea that memories can be programmed like a computer, and that reality is in part defined by those memories is the key theme of Total Recall. Directed by John Woo, whose reputation as a filmmaker was formed by intense action films originating in Hong Kong, Paycheck carries many signature elements of the director's style, including martial arts, Mexican standoffs, motorcycle chases, gunfire, and lots of explosions--there is even a white dove. The combination of these elements of presentation and story make Paycheck reminiscent of similar adaptations while embracing the director's vision and feel.
The massive project which Michael commits three years of his life to--knowing they will be deleted at completion--is one which is ominously described by Jimmy as being in "optics", but in reality is designed to predict the future. It is something which Jimmy is obsessed with, but there are also elements suggesting that it is already a key interest to Michael, making him an ideal candidate to produce such a reality-defying construct. Oddly mystical iconography is incorporated into the future viewing device, drawing from other objects alluded to in Paycheck, like the crystal ball in Jimmy's office (which demands a fee of a quarter to use), or the replica hand in Michael's apartment, outlining areas for palm reading. The "divination" promised by this device is one which Jimmy promises will make Michael rich beyond his dreams, because Jimmy stands to profit above all others from the device's use. But what are Jimmy's true motivations, and how will they affect Michael? When things start to go awry after the job is over, it become clear as crystal that Michael is a liability in the pursuit of absolute control of knowledge by Jimmy and his company, Allcom. Even the word divination comes from the ability to "foresee as if by a god". The world Michael has become a part of has always been one where subversion and deception, even outright theft, are just part of the business. His position as a reverse engineer requires that he essentially steal the work of another, and retool it to be something better for someone else's profit--others who pay him for this theft, and then go and steal his own memories away to protect themselves in the equivalent of futuristic corporate espionage. Jimmy's offer is no different, essentially having Michael steal the idea away to make it his. And what's that saying about honor among thieves?
Unfortunately, when Michael goes to claim his vast commission, he not only discovers that there is no reward waiting, but that the envelope he supposedly left behind three years ago is filled not with the possessions he remembers, but with a collection of twenty different, seemingly random, items. These unrecognizable totems are the most intriguing plot device of Paycheck; they are revealed to be clues left behind for Michael by Michael. Even before having his memory taken away, Michael recognizes--by thinking backwards--that these items would have a part to play under very specific circumstances, and would lead Michael to the answers he seeks following his reemergence into the world. Not unlike the crystal ball, this collection of clues are like "hacks" for his own future, allowing him to re-engineer it, even when he can't remember why. Essentially, they make Michael into a kind of precognitive MacGyver, where even a paperclip or half dollar coin at just the right time means the difference between life or death.
Michael's career choice is decidedly an odd one, but more so because apparently in this near future, it is not uncommon for businesses to employ technology--aided by Michael's trainer and friend, known as "Shorty" (Paul Giamatti)--to remove the memories of his clandestine work from his brain to avoid becoming a liability, as these money-grubbing enterprises are so paranoid of being caught. While the eponymous paycheck is what Michael always cites as his key motivator in adopting such a potentially dangerous occupational hazard, in effect Michael doesn't have a lot of value for his own life anyway. He justifies the loss of a few months here and there as being the exclusion of "boring time", leaving only pleasant memories of partying and vacations otherwise. But Michael's life at home feels more like killing time between job to job, waiting for another opportunity to bleach out part of his existence; it actually sounds a bit suicidal. Even the compensation he gets from his jobs doesn't seem to suggest Michael lives opulently; his apartment is rather modest, watching old Red Sox games on cheap VHS tapes (which seems even more humble in the year of 2007 when Paycheck is supposedly set). When Jimmy offers to buy three years of Michael's life in exchange to be financially set for life, for Michael it isn't a question of why, but why not? His unlikely answer comes in the form of Dr. Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman), a botanist he ends up carrying on a long-term relationship with during his assignment while creating the device for Jimmy. It is an experience which changes his view of his life and is ultimately the reason that leads to this string of events following the completion of his job. When Michael fights for his life, it is because he's invested in his life again, in large part because of the puzzle he has left for himself to make it happen, but also because, even if he may not consciously remember it, there is the sense that his love for Rachel has made him a changed man. Whether that is a variable that Michael could have predicted or not, who can say?
Recommended for: Fans of a thrilling action movie with a philosophical sci-fi plot, dealing with themes like predicting the future and the influencing of memories through technology. It is an exciting flick with lots of cool set pieces, but also an intellectually stimulating one as well.
The massive project which Michael commits three years of his life to--knowing they will be deleted at completion--is one which is ominously described by Jimmy as being in "optics", but in reality is designed to predict the future. It is something which Jimmy is obsessed with, but there are also elements suggesting that it is already a key interest to Michael, making him an ideal candidate to produce such a reality-defying construct. Oddly mystical iconography is incorporated into the future viewing device, drawing from other objects alluded to in Paycheck, like the crystal ball in Jimmy's office (which demands a fee of a quarter to use), or the replica hand in Michael's apartment, outlining areas for palm reading. The "divination" promised by this device is one which Jimmy promises will make Michael rich beyond his dreams, because Jimmy stands to profit above all others from the device's use. But what are Jimmy's true motivations, and how will they affect Michael? When things start to go awry after the job is over, it become clear as crystal that Michael is a liability in the pursuit of absolute control of knowledge by Jimmy and his company, Allcom. Even the word divination comes from the ability to "foresee as if by a god". The world Michael has become a part of has always been one where subversion and deception, even outright theft, are just part of the business. His position as a reverse engineer requires that he essentially steal the work of another, and retool it to be something better for someone else's profit--others who pay him for this theft, and then go and steal his own memories away to protect themselves in the equivalent of futuristic corporate espionage. Jimmy's offer is no different, essentially having Michael steal the idea away to make it his. And what's that saying about honor among thieves?
Unfortunately, when Michael goes to claim his vast commission, he not only discovers that there is no reward waiting, but that the envelope he supposedly left behind three years ago is filled not with the possessions he remembers, but with a collection of twenty different, seemingly random, items. These unrecognizable totems are the most intriguing plot device of Paycheck; they are revealed to be clues left behind for Michael by Michael. Even before having his memory taken away, Michael recognizes--by thinking backwards--that these items would have a part to play under very specific circumstances, and would lead Michael to the answers he seeks following his reemergence into the world. Not unlike the crystal ball, this collection of clues are like "hacks" for his own future, allowing him to re-engineer it, even when he can't remember why. Essentially, they make Michael into a kind of precognitive MacGyver, where even a paperclip or half dollar coin at just the right time means the difference between life or death.
Michael's career choice is decidedly an odd one, but more so because apparently in this near future, it is not uncommon for businesses to employ technology--aided by Michael's trainer and friend, known as "Shorty" (Paul Giamatti)--to remove the memories of his clandestine work from his brain to avoid becoming a liability, as these money-grubbing enterprises are so paranoid of being caught. While the eponymous paycheck is what Michael always cites as his key motivator in adopting such a potentially dangerous occupational hazard, in effect Michael doesn't have a lot of value for his own life anyway. He justifies the loss of a few months here and there as being the exclusion of "boring time", leaving only pleasant memories of partying and vacations otherwise. But Michael's life at home feels more like killing time between job to job, waiting for another opportunity to bleach out part of his existence; it actually sounds a bit suicidal. Even the compensation he gets from his jobs doesn't seem to suggest Michael lives opulently; his apartment is rather modest, watching old Red Sox games on cheap VHS tapes (which seems even more humble in the year of 2007 when Paycheck is supposedly set). When Jimmy offers to buy three years of Michael's life in exchange to be financially set for life, for Michael it isn't a question of why, but why not? His unlikely answer comes in the form of Dr. Rachel Porter (Uma Thurman), a botanist he ends up carrying on a long-term relationship with during his assignment while creating the device for Jimmy. It is an experience which changes his view of his life and is ultimately the reason that leads to this string of events following the completion of his job. When Michael fights for his life, it is because he's invested in his life again, in large part because of the puzzle he has left for himself to make it happen, but also because, even if he may not consciously remember it, there is the sense that his love for Rachel has made him a changed man. Whether that is a variable that Michael could have predicted or not, who can say?
Recommended for: Fans of a thrilling action movie with a philosophical sci-fi plot, dealing with themes like predicting the future and the influencing of memories through technology. It is an exciting flick with lots of cool set pieces, but also an intellectually stimulating one as well.