Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Review

by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)
January 7th, 2002
FINAL
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Bill (Denis Leary) wakes up one morning to discover himself locked in a psychiatric ward. Although his memory is gone, he's convinced he's going to be given a final injection within 48 hours. His doctor, Anne (Hope Davis, "Hearts in Atlantis"), remains calm while he rants, trying to help him piece together his memory from dream fragments. Although she assures him he'll be released when he regains his orientation, Bill is sure he's not delusional and that Anne's agenda is not what she claims in "Final."
Director Campbell Scott ("Big Night") takes Bruce McIntosh' screenplay and attempts to create a futuristically sterile jigsaw puzzle. While the film's final payoff works, the torturous route there doesn't make the journey worthwhile.

Denis Leary does his best to portray an anguished, paranoid man rebuilding his identity from unreliable fragments. While memories of a car accident point to drug and alcohol dependencies, his ability with words and a guitar establish him as a musician.

Hope Davis, a taste I've never acquired, (with the major exception of her performance in "Hearts in Atlantis") doesn't give Leary anything to grab onto for far too long, however. While it could be argued that stoicism should be Anne's initial reaction to Bill, Davis' monotonous delivery disengages the viewer entirely. She begins to show character shadings during the film's climax, but shuts down again for its coda.

Scott shoots this one man show in the confines of an ugly, institutional yellow room with static direction. While the idea behind "Final" is a good one, eighty minutes of tedium is too much to ask for its revelation. Still, "Final" gets points for the thoughts it provokes after its conclusion.
C

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