|
In the year 2007, memories
can be erased almost as easily as they can be created. With
corporate security being of top concern, this technology is in
high demand for corporations who hire people to work on sensitive
projects.
Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck), is a master of technology, and as
such, is in high demand for his ability to reverse engineer
technology. Companies hire him to work in private to unlock
technological secrets of their competition and upon completion of
his work; Jennings has his memories of his work and time at the
company removed. This arrangement protects the companies, as they
do not have to disclose how they came about the new technologies
and the only person who can attest to the source of the work has
no memory of it making the claim valid, and keeping him from being
able to recoup long-term profits from the company.
Jennings is well paid for his work, and has recently completed a
two-month job when his friend Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), asks
Michael to come work on a secret thee-year project for his
company. Michael is told only that it deals with optics and that
he will be paid with stock options worth hundreds of millions of
dollars.
After thinking about the deal, Michael agrees to the job and sets
out to complete the task ahead of him.
In what seems like a few minutes to him, Michael comes to in the
office of Rethrick and is stunned to learn that he has completed
his work and that it was a huge success. Pleased, Michael sets out
to collect his payment but is surprised to learn that he forfeited
his stocks four days earlier and sent himself an envelope
containing various mundane items such as paperclips, ball
bearings, matches, and keys.
Before long, Michael is running for his life and attempting to
unravel the mystery of the missing three years in his memory.
Based on the short story by renowned Sci-Fi author Phillip K.
Dick, and directed by famed action helmer John Woo, “Paycheck”
is a pleasant and entertaining surprise. The previews do not do
this film justice, as it is an entertaining and engrossing film
with good supporting work by Uma Thurman and Paul Giamatti.
There are a number of twists and turns to the story and some good
action and humor along the way. Affleck does solid work as a man
desperate to solve the mystery and struggling to cope with his
life spun out of control.
While the ending was a bit to Hollywood for me, “Paycheck” is
a solid and entertaining film and worth seeing.
-- Gareth
( 3 out of 4 pops )
Talk
about this film with other Popkorn Junkies |
