Stricken with an incurable disease, death awaits you. We offer you the possibility to clone your body and transfer everything there is in your brain, in order to continue living with your loved ones. But there is a catch. Once the transfer is complete, your new self will not be you. It will simply be him. You will not feel anything of his new life … before and after your death. What would you do ?
This is the frightening question facing Cameron (two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali) who lives peacefully with his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris), pregnant with their second child, and their son Cory.
Without revealing anything to his family, Cameron goes to a clinic in the middle of the forest where Dr.D Jo Scott (Glenn Close) tries to convince him to be the third “patient” to receive this treatment. “In a few years, it will be as common as a heart transplant,” she reassures him.
Reassured, Cameron? Not at all ! When he meets Jack, his double, and sees the latter, in an ultramodern videoconference, exchanging tender words with Poppy, he goes wild. “YOU ARE NOT ME,” he shouts.
The rest is in keeping. What choice will Cameron make?
Oscillating between science fiction and anticipatory drama, Swan song (The song of the Swan) explores both difficult ethical questions about cloning, eternal life and the softer elements of parentage, eternal love and transmission.
These are the elements that make it a very interesting subject. Unfortunately, the film is a little uneven in its rhythm in addition to being approached in a cold, clinical, Cartesian staging and with clean lines. Whether in the city or in the middle of the Pacific forest (the film was shot in Vancouver and its region), everything is super slick.
On the other hand, director Benjamin Cleary has found the right balance between domestic life and fictional elements. We strongly believe in his futuristic vision of existing technologies (driverless cars, internet, iPod, etc.). As presented, they make sense.
In addition, the rapper and actress Awkwafina, who defends the secondary role of Kate, also suffering from an incurable disease, has a percussive presence in each of her short scenes. In our opinion, she defends the best role and gives body to the story.
After winning in 2016 the Oscar for best short fiction film with Stutterer, Benjamin Cleary is directing his first feature here. His career will be followed, we hope, in the near future.
SCIENCE-FICTION DRAMA
Swan song
Benjamin cleary
With Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Glenn Close
1 h 52
On Apple TV +