Awake

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

Awake, written by rookie screenwriter Elana Zeltser and directed by Aleksandr Chernyaev, is an ambitious and often violent ride about a man accused of heinous crimes he has no memory of committing. The film invites viewers’ attention from the very start, as audiences will watch John Doe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) cruise down an open Oklahoma highway until his vehicle struggles to grip the asphalt and crashes violently into a ravine. The opener (quite overutilized in films of this nature) maintains its grip on audience attention largely thanks to Chernyaev’s creative shots and camera perspective. This see-saw of average writing and colorful technical performances (from both the director and the actors) is consistently inconsistent throughout the film; making it good but certainly not great.

John Doe wakes up in a rural hospital after losing control of his car with little memory of his immediate past aside from fragmented memories of the accident itself. His face and body heavily bandaged, John is still being regarded as a threat to his caretakers as he finds himself the number one suspect in a series of murders. John is pulled aside into questioning by the local Sheriff Bower (William Forsythe), who is working alongside his old FBI buddy, Frank (Malik Yoba). John, frightened and alarmed by his situation, manages to evade capture through a brief but brutal act of desperate violence. On his way out of the hospital and police custody John holds his nurse Diana (Francesca Eastwood) at gunpoint and brings her along on his journey for the truth. Diana eventually settles on the conclusion that John is, in fact, innocent and together they revisit the alleged crime scenes for clues and answers as to John’s identity and the truth behind the serial murders.

At ninety-two minutes long, Awake does stumble throughout its narrative. Its cast of seasoned and pedigreed actors make good use of their material, but the writing is not restrained or calculated enough to fully manifest the film as a successful thriller. Compelling performances and impressive cinematography do the heavy-lifting when it comes to building sympathy for the characters and audience engagement with the story and setting – but it’s easy to forget about dazzling landscapes and technical camera expertise with inconsistent dialogue and a good story that has gone underdeveloped. Jonathan Rhys Myers and Francesca Eastwood’s chemistry is just enough to convince audiences that maybe, just maybe, Diana is right for believing John Doe’s protests of innocence. Malik Yoba’s performance as a mostly-functioning alcoholic investigator shined alongside William Forsythe’s Sherriff Bower and the men had their own chemistry as old boys who had seen too much.

At its strongest Awake is an entertaining, formulaic thriller – perfect for a Saturday night on the couch. At its weakest, it is predictable – which isn’t to say that it’s not a good film. Awake is a movie that was made to suck audiences in, keep them there just long enough to get the blood pumping before it crescendos into a jostling twist. It accomplishes these goals, despite a few narrative stumbles. Overall Awake may not be winning any prestigious awards, but it is certainly worthy of movie night at home where you can lock your doors, crawl under a blanket and hope to never meet a man like John Doe.