That was a good film. I was surprised by just how very good it was, both as a film, and as a film of its genre. But what really surprised me was the strength of my emotional reaction.
There's this scene towards the beginning of the film where Robert stages a conversation with a 'girl in the DVD store'. It's Will Smith acting coy towards a mannequin (who, in this instance, is not Kim Cattrall.) He gives a shy smile and ducks his head and it would be very cute, if the other person wasn't made of plastic.
That scene got me right here. I started crying silently, and from that moment, I hardly stopped. It was so very true to me - somehow ten times more disturbing than the 'mutants'. To be pushed to the point where you would do that, even though you know it's not real. All of those quiet, introspective scenes were the highlight for me.
I was a little sad that the story was resolved with a literal deus ex machina, but it was balanced out by some wonderful moments, brilliant acting and remarkable atmosphere. Oh, and the sound design and the cinematography were fantastic. I really do appreciate it when films are done well.
Now I want to see The Omega Man, to see how they compare.
