The Final Cut DVD Review:

Memory has been a hot topic for independent films in the last few years. With the critically hailed hit Memento, followed by Kaufman’s brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, as well as less successful and more far fetched attempts such as The Butterfly Effect and The Jacket, there seems to be no shortage of material for this intriguing topic of the mind. Although not as exciting or popular as the other films like it, The Final Cut is a strong film which develops a unique approach to the subject.

Taking place in the future, The Final Cut is a fable about a world in which memory implants record all moments of a person’s life, from birth till death. Post mortem these implants are removed and edited by a “cutter”, all for a commemorative ceremony called a Rememory. Alan Hackman, a subtle yet strong performance by Robin Williams, is a cutter who deals primarily with the lives that are known to have disturbing images in them. Alan is good at his job, which is primarily to make the person look much better than they were in real life, cutting away everything but the good pieces.

As popular a procedure this is for many people, there are also many who have formed a group whose sole purpose is to take down the company and stop the practice of memory recording. Although it may seem harmless at first to have people see your life only after you are dead, it proves to be too much pressure for some to know that their every move will be watched and judged once they are dead. It is almost as if these people realized that there was a God who was able to see everything that they had done once they passed.

The premise is brilliant, and yet it is so simple that I marvel at the fact that it has not been done before. The Final Cut is the kind of film which could have been turned into an action sci-fi film, much in the likes of Minority Report, and yet it was handled in a much simpler and discreet manner, which makes it a quiet and beautiful film. Along with the thought provoking script which never overdoes any of the dialogue, and the soft spoken cinematography, The Final Cut has one of the most beautiful scores I have heard in months. Every frame is far more poetic thanks to the music which is chosen for each scene. From the opening scene between two boys, ending in a horrific accident, The Final Cut draws you in to a mysterious and yet melancholic film.

The film allows us to see what life would look like to a man who has watched all of the horrifying sides to human nature, and yet still manages to see the beauty it can hold. Robin Williams pulls off a convincing role with the help of a decent supporting cast including Jim Caviezel in a really bad beard, and Mira Sorvino as the love interest whom Alan shares his most intimate thoughts with.

The visuals of the film are surprisingly good, and although the film takes place in the future it isn’t done in a sci-fi manner, but is closer to our reality as we know it now. The one aspect that could have been done better is the footage taken for the Rememories. Often there is voiceover of the person being remembered as they talk, and it sounds something like a person’s voice sounds as they hold a video camera and speak, and the acting is some of the worst within the Rememories as well. Aside from that little kink, this film has all of the makings of a sleeper. While it may be too slow for some people, this thought provoking life examination is well worth the journey.

The DVD has a fantastic menu which is very fitting for the film, and is full of great special features. Some of the features include a Making of The Final Cut featurette, Production Design featurette, a storyboard-to-film comparison, a Special Effects featurette, deleted scenes, and director commentary. With all of these features, well deserved with a film like this, this is a great DVD to rent, borrow, or buy.



Ryan Izay