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Writer Philip K. Dick has given the world some of the most important science fiction stories and novels, later adapted into films such as Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly, The Guardians of Destiny or, the most famous of all, Blade Runner. Over the years Dick has thus become a cult author, always careful to reflect with his works on the manipulative processes of the social fabric by the structures of power and on the concept of identity and humanity. Another of the most famous tales of him turned into a film is We remember for youbrought to the cinema in 2012 with the title Total Recall – Act of force (review here).
The film, directed by Len Wisemanformer director of Underworld And Die Hard – Live or die, is actually the second feature film inspired by Dick’s short story. The first film to be based on it was in fact Act of forcefrom 1990, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. This new adaptation of Dick’s story turns out to be particularly different both from the original text and from that first film, thus configuring itself as a work that takes up the basic themes but building around it numerous unpublished scenes. Furthermore, it is a film that takes into account the changing times and technological and social innovations.
The novelties introduced by the film, however, were not enough to allow it to establish itself as a good success. The proceeds did not turn out to be up to expectations and the critical judgment, while indicating some merits of the film, underlined how this remains unaware of the 1990 title. To be able to give an opinion, it is necessary to undertake a vision of the film, but first delving into some of the main curiosities relating to this. Continuing the reading here it will be possible to find further details relating to the plotto the cast of actors and at differences with the story. Finally, the main ones will also be listed streaming platforms containing the film in their catalog.
Total Recall – Act of force: the plot and the cast of the film
The 21st century has just begun and a chemical warfare has made only two areas of the earth livable: the Federal Union of Britain and the Colony, where it lives. Douglas Quaid, employed at a police robot factory and looking for a vacation to get away from his monotonous life. Driven by this desire, Douglas is attracted by the service offered by Rekall, a company that transforms dreams into real memories: he then decides to indulge in a mental journey to step into the shoes of a super spy. During the operation, however, something goes wrong and Douglas finds himself being searched for by the police, thus beginning to suspect that he has always been a spy. To save himself, he will have to discover the truth about his identity.
To play the protagonist Douglas Quaid there is the actor Colin Farrell, who immediately declared himself extremely enthusiastic about the project. He also wanted to personally play many of the more complicated scenes, but he also requested to be able to sleep on set, to see what it felt like to wake up in the future. Next to him, in the role of Lori, Douglas’s wife, there is instead the actress Kate Beckinsalewhile Jessica Biel it is Melina, a mysterious woman who offers to help the protagonist. They are also present in the film Bryan Cranston as Vilos Cohaagen, the Chancellor who orders the hunt for Douglas e Bill Nighy in those of Matthias Lair. The actor Bokeem Woodbine it’s Agent Harry instead.
Total Recall – Act of force: the explanation and the differences with the story
The main theme of Act of force it is related to the question of whether Quaid’s experiences are real or just a dream induced by his failed Rekall memory implant. At the end of the film it is still difficult to answer this question, in a very similar way to what happens at the end of Blade Runner, another film based on a work by Dick, where the nature of the protagonist is very enigmatic. Given this uncertainty, Act of force it is configured as a work that raises reflections on the ability to manipulate people’s memories and perception, a practice that is anything but alien to today’s media.
As for the relationship with Dick’s story, it is good to know that it also contains dream sequences set on Mars, where aliens are also found. None of this appears in Total Recall, set solely on earth. Consequently, the conflict also changes, which if for the story is centered on a murder that took place on Mars, in the film it is given by the problems following a third world war. Also different is the antagonist, who goes from a secret government agency to being the war veteran Vilos Cohaagen. The respective endings are also different, where that of Dick’s story is much more ambiguous and open to reflection.
Total Recall – Act of force: the trailer and where to see the film in streaming and on TV
You can take advantage of Total Recall – Act of force thanks to its presence on some of the most popular streaming platforms on the net today. This is in fact available in the catalogs of Chili Cinema, Google Play, Now, Amazon Prime Video and Tim Vision. To see it, once you have chosen the reference platform, just rent the single film or sign up for a general subscription. In this way you will be able to watch it in total comfort and at the best of video quality. The film is also present in the television schedule of Tuesday 4th October at 21:20 On the canal Rai 4.
Source: IMDb
