Awake

A movie to watch over the weekend when you're bored and at loss for enthusiasm to go out.

I find myself lucky never to have been under a surgeon's knife. I know I'll be there someday, but after watching this movie you start doubting whether anesthetics are enough to keep you away from the pain.

An interesting fact on which the movie is based : In an year, about 30,000 people having surgery under the influence of general anesthesia are unable to sleep. The drugs affect the body in such a way that these people are physically paralyzed, with their eyes closed - but can hear / feel the surgery being performed on them. In short, their still awake when they are sliced open (hence the name :P ). With every tantalizing curve and slice of the surgeon's blade they face the excruciating pain, but are unable to scream for help or react. This they say, is called "anesthetic awareness".

It kind of brings me memories of certain dreams that one has every now and then. You would know what I'm talking about, or you may just not remember having them. Its when you cannot control your physical actions within the dream, feeling entrapped inside your own body as things happen around you. The helpless and depressing feeling that surrounds you in that dream is what I could relate to when I saw this movie. Of course, it was no where compared to having your chest sliced open for a heart transplant.

This movie is about a young rich billionaire named Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen - decent job, just a bit too stone faced in the movie) who has lived his whole adult life trying to better the feats achieved by his father, who died when he was a kid because of a freak accident. Hugely successful as a master of mergers and acquisitions, he's created jobs for thousands and saved a number of companies from being washed away - all with a weak heart.

Jessica Alba (hot, and thats about it) as Sam plays his love interest, a girl who happens to be his mother's assistant and someone he has been seeing secretly for over an year. There is a much treaded Rich boy - Poor girl track which ensues in the movie as his mother (Lilith played by Lena Olin) is kept under the dark over the relationship. Knowing that he doesn't have much time in hand, and being on the heart donor list for over an year (O -ve blood group, very rare.. ) he asks Sam to marry him - against his mother's wishes. (Argh.... some movies just cant do without this, but well having watched it, fits in quite well.. )

And well, as fate would have it, as the two lovebirds are "trying" (weak heart remember? :) ) to consummate their marriage, Clay is paged that there is a heart available for him. He is then prepared for surgery by his friend and surgeon Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard - Nice job!).

Just that when he's put to sleep on the operating table, his body seizes to move but he can still hear and feel as his chest is being cut open for a heart transplant. A few very well shot scenes in the movie make you squirm at the thought of having that done to you. However, thats not just what this movie is about. Clay hears the doctors plotting his murder as they operate on him.

A very interesting concept that could have almost made a superb movie. Just that there is a huge dip in the rush that the movie generates in the end. All in all, a one time must watch. :)