Code 46
Release date: 2003-09-02
Votes: 381
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
In a dystopian future, insurance fraud investigator William Gold arrives in Shanghai to investigate a forgery ring for "papelles", futuristic passports that record people's identities and genetics. Gold falls for Maria Gonzalez, the woman in charge of the forgeries. After a passionate affair, Gold returns home, having named a coworker as the culprit. But when one of Gonzalez's customers is found dead, Gold is sent back to Shanghai to complete the investigation.
Reviews
CinemaSerf
I struggle with some of these futuristic dystopian dramas simply because I can never imagine how humanity could ever find itself in the situation where life could really be like this. This one adds an additional, if entirely accidental, Oedipean element to the plot. “Geld” (Tim Robbins) is an investigator who tracks down folks who peddle in fake travel documents. Believe it or not, this is big business in a world where travel is tightly regulated by the governmental “Sphinx”. His latest trip takes him to Shanghai where he encounters “Maria” (Samantha Morton) whom he quickly deduces is behind the forgeries, but he’s too smitten to do anything about it as he embarks on twenty-four hours of activities he might not like to recount to his wife at home. Anyway, back home he goes only for his boss to enquire as to why he seemed to have failed in his mission and to promptly send him back. Was this his plan all along - to be sent back? Well when he tries to find “Maria” again, he discovers that she has undergone memory erasing treatment following her alleged breaching of “Code 46”. He also discovers that she is not quite the random person he had initially supposed, and that the genetics of two into one don’t really go! Essentially this comes across as a curious take on a love story, with Robbins confidently delivering a persona that still yearns for a degree of humanity in the face of an increasingly sterile and prescribed human existence. Morton also delivers well, exuding a certain vulnerability as her character sits on the wrong side of an arbitrarily defined society that discriminates indiscriminately. The plot tries to reconcile some more scientific concepts alongside the emotionally conflicted ones, but that’s where I found it’s wheels came off. It hasn’t quite the convictions to deliver without reaching an uncomfortable compromise that I felt rather let the whole thing down, and boy can it take it’s time as it often feels way longer than ninety minutes. There are moments of chemistry between the pair, and I did like the premise but the over-written and ponderous execution just left me disappointed, sorry.
Movie Recommendation
24 Hour Party People2002-02-13Manchester, 1976. Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by a band known as the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester's punk groups are clamoring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records label and The Hacienda club.More...
Renegade2004-02-09U.S Marshal Mike Donovan has dark memories of the death of his first love. He keeps peace between the Americans and the natives who had temporarily adopted and taken care of him. The evil actions of a white sorcerer lead him to confront the villain in the Sacred Mountains, and, through shamanic rituals conquer his fears and uncover a suppressed memory he would much rather deny.More...
The Brown Bunny2003-11-14Bud Clay races motorcycles in the 250cc Formula II class of road racing. After a race in New Hampshire, he has five days to get to his next race in California. During his road trip, he is haunted by memories of the last time he saw Daisy, his true love.More...
Plasticized2011-10-01PLASTICIZED is a film that places the viewer aboard a transatlantic expedition, as if one of the crew, revealing the unembellished evidence that the human footprint has reached every corner of the earth, even if we have not been there. Despite rumors of massive garbage islands, an immeasurable amount of plastic pollution of all sizes is floating throughout every major ocean in the world. With the numerous ghost nets of trash or larger windrows of rubbish dominating the the occasional headlines, tiny bits of plastic particulate from frail chunks is the overwhelming contaminant that is secretly infiltrating all levels of sea life like a cancer.More...
Happy-Go-Lucky2008-04-18A look at a few chapters in the life of Poppy, a cheery, colorful, North London schoolteacher whose optimism tends to exasperate those around her.More...
The Handmaid's Tale1990-02-15In a dystopian, polluted right-wing religious tyranny, a young woman is put in sexual slavery on account of her now rare fertility.More...
Honeyland2019-07-26When nomadic beekeepers break Honeyland’s basic rule (take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees), the last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.More...
Nightbooks2021-09-15Alex, a boy obsessed with scary stories, is trapped by a witch in her modern, magical New York City apartment. His original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping him safe as he desperately tries to find a way out of this twisted place.More...
Young Sherlock Holmes1985-12-04Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet as boys in an English Boarding school. Holmes is known for his deductive ability even as a youth, amazing his classmates with his abilities. When they discover a plot to murder a series of British business men by an Egyptian cult, they move to stop it.More...
Mission to Mars2000-03-10When the first manned mission to Mars meets with a catastrophic and mysterious disaster after reporting an unidentified structure, a rescue mission is launched to investigate the tragedy and bring back any survivors.More...
The Stepford Wives2004-06-10What does it take to become a Stepford wife, a woman perfect beyond belief? Ask the Stepford husbands, who've created this high-tech, terrifying little town.More...
Runaway Jury2003-01-16After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch, who uses illegal means to stack the jury with people sympathetic to the defense. But when juror Nicholas Easter and his girlfriend Marlee reveal their ability to sway the jury into delivering any verdict they want, a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game begins.More...
Borg vs McEnroe2017-09-08The Swedish Björn Borg and the American John McEnroe, the best tennis players in the world, maintain a legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament.More...
A Scanner Darkly2006-07-07An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.More...
Love Lies Bleeding2024-03-07Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.More...
Four Rooms1995-12-09It's Ted the Bellhop's first night on the job...and the hotel's very unusual guests are about to place him in some outrageous predicaments. It seems that this evening's room service is serving up one unbelievable happening after another.More...
The Man from Earth2007-06-10A departing professor gathers his closest colleagues for an intimate farewell, but the night takes an unexpected turn when he shares a stunning secret about his past. As the conversation unfolds, skepticism and curiosity collide, challenging everything they thought they knew about history, science, and belief.More...
Hulk2003-06-19Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers massive radiation exposure in his laboratory that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.More...
To the Bone2017-01-22A young woman dealing with anorexia meets an unconventional doctor who challenges her to face her condition and embrace life.More...
Escape Room2019-01-03Six strangers find themselves in circumstances beyond their control, and must use their wits to survive.More...
Similar Movies
My Own Private Idaho
1991-02-01In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.Terminator Salvation
2009-05-20All grown up in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor must lead the resistance of humans against the increasingly dominating militaristic robots. But when Marcus Wright appears, his existence confuses the mission as Connor tries to determine whether Wright has come from the future or the past -- and whether he's friend or foe.Tomorrow is a Long Ti...
2021-04-01Inside a block of flats, a young woman decides to act about something concerning her for a long time.The Fifth Element
1997-05-02In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity.Schirkoa: In Lies We ...
2024-08-29In a sophisticated near perfect society, citizens live with paper bags on heads to dissolve differences. Tensions rise when the whispers of a mythical land without the bags start to float and a fresh council member sparks an accidental revolution.Die Senkrechtstarter
1989-01-26In the not too distant future, in the year 1999: In Germany, payment may only be made by credit card, which leads to many people purchasing things they cannot pay for. A nasty debt collector from the almighty central bank sends out employees to take back unpaid goods from customers by force. A girl who calls herself Egon is also forced to work for this evil person. In the process, she meets nice Mike, with whom she falls in love. Soon Mike and his friend, the aging playboy Löffler, are in a turbulent adventure to free Egon from the clutches of the bank villain.Red Dawn
1984-08-10It is the dawn of World War III. In mid-western America, a group of teenagers band together to defend their town—and their country—from invading Soviet forces.eXistenZ
1999-04-14A game designer on the run from assassins must play her latest virtual reality creation with a marketing trainee to determine if the game has been damaged.A Friend of Mine
2006-10-05An introverted insurance executive at a car rental service is annoyed by his hyperactive, garrulous coworker, but the two end up becoming friends.1984
1956-03-06In a totalitarian future society, a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love.Say Anything...
1989-04-14Lloyd, an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart of Diane, an unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student. He surprises just about everyone-including himself-when she returns the sentiment. But Diane's over-possessive, divorced Dad disapproves and it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all.The Lake House
2006-06-16A lonely doctor who once occupied an unusual lakeside home begins exchanging love letters with its former resident, a frustrated architect. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.Unforgettable
1996-02-23Seattle medical examiner David Krane is obsessed with solving his wife's murder. A possible solution presents itself in an experimental "memory" serum designed by a neurobiology professor, which has the ability to transfer memories from one person to another, but with potentially fatal consequences.I, Robot
2004-07-15In 2035, where robots are commonplace and abide by the three laws of robotics, a technophobic cop investigates an apparent suicide. Suspecting that a robot may be responsible for the death, his investigation leads him to believe that humanity may be in danger.Impostor
2001-12-03A top-secret government weapons designer is arrested by a clandestine government organization on suspicion of being a clone created by the hostile alien race wanting to take over Earth.A Boy and His Dog
1975-03-23Set in the year 2024 in post-apocalyptic America, 18-year old Vic and his telepathic dog, Blood, are scavengers in the desolate wilderness ravaged by World War IV, where survivors must battle for food and shelter in the desert-like wasteland. Vic and Blood eke out a meager existence, foraging for food and fighting gangs of cutthroats.Zardoz
1974-02-06In the far future, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity's achievements.Last Resort
2025-03-21There is no descriptionWestworld
1973-08-15Delos is a futuristic amusement park that features themed worlds populated by human-like androids. After two patrons have a run-in with a menacing gunslinger in West World, the androids at Delos all begin to malfunction, causing havoc throughout the park.Tiny Times 3
2014-07-17Lin Xiao, Gu Li, Nan Xiang, Tang Wanru - these four best friends, after waving goodbye to their school campus and entering the workforce, they are faced with various challenges in their life: friendship, love, and career. Together, they become lost in life, having long forgotten their past courage.