WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Who wants to live forever? A highly popular song from an equally lauded fantasy film back in the day asked this question. Is it not true that we as people look at our finite time on this Earth and desire to find any and all ways to preserve ourselves, to extend that which we don’t wish to lose, so that we might see a future unhindered by the ravages of time? But, even when explored, does it not also beg another age-old question when man seeks to push limits he was truly never meant to tread upon–is it worth the cost? For one company’s current CEO, Bridget Pellegrini (Erika Hoveland), it is this dilemma she fights against as a fellow, but unscrupulous, executive named Oliver (Richard Tyson) seeks to pursue a newly created tech that promises longevity in a fresh way. As circumstances unfold, it becomes up to a haggard veteran named Corey (Damien Chinappi) to involuntarily get involved, persuaded by others to try and stop one man’s twisted sense of morality–and the future.
Next, my Mind:
There’s a solid, contemporary, even necesssary relevancy and intentionality to the thematic dealings found in this 105-minute indie feature film brought to life by writer/director/executive producer/producer Harley Wallen, covering real-world issues like corporate greed, the overt dangers of “playing God”, the lure of wealth, and how moral fortitude is forced to weather the storm of far less principled men and warped ideas about what is “the best for humanity”. But, in the grand scheme of things, this critic has to say the concepts and foundational basis of the narrative took just a little too long to manifest here to maintain full, absolute engagement. Pushing an oft-journeyed path that presents the notion of new ways some have discovered to live forever, I felt we didn’t actually get to see enough of this being visualized and addressed in a runtime that likewise felt too long and bogged down in pacing that was, granted, attempting to build events up, but actually ended up slowing things down.
Now, I am a huge fan of character development, getting both core and fleshed-out backstories, allowing there to be believable means by which characters come into each other’s paths, etc, etc. and that does get handled here to a certain extent. Yet, it still felt somewhat disjointed in perhaps a little TOO much backstory/random side-stories, where ultimately getting to the primary gist of the tale (ie: this new tech and its applications/implications/perils) just feels like an afterthought until suddenly we’re thrust into it and by then, it felt like it was too late. The film’s finale, though, I thought was quite clever, causing plenty of conjecture-based rumblings in our minds, clearly leading us to conclude possibilities exist to continue this thematic path, which I honestly feel would be an interesting scenario to witness, but just via a more polished, concise, and energetic effort. The actions scenes are decent, but far too few in my opinion for a film labeled AS an “action” film. There’s a palpable tension needed here as well that just wasn’t quite present.
Perhaps I say these things in view of what was quite a stellar cast brought up for this film, the actors having over 750+ credits to their names among what I felt were the 19 primary leads and supporting appearances made, some veteran some newer, many having put efforts forth in major Hollywood fare in some way. I think I therefore did expect a little more out of the film because of this truthfully because greatness IS there, even if from slightly larger indie film perspectives, perhaps not Oscars, but certainly not Razzies either. Hoveland provides well-delivered bravado as Bridget, a CEO in what seems like a no-win situation but stands firm on her principals regardless, even if it could mean losing her company or worse. Tyson likewise plays head villian Oliver with plenty of growling menace and “I’m the one you love to hate” energy. Chinappi sports the perfect look and demeanor to portray the low-voiced but flawed hero Corey, though there were moments where some of the emotional bombast he portrayed was perhaps a little too forced.
Ken Alter solidly plays David, a company exec who may or may not actually be in line with Oliver and his nefarious intentions, the undeniably adorable Kaiti Wallen plays Stephanie, a prostitute with a heart of gold who becomes a voice of persuasion for Corey to get involved against Oliver, Angelina Danielle Cama plays Bridget’s daughter Miranda who joins the fight to protect her mother’s legacy, Yan Birch arrives as Magnus, one of the lead scientists behind the eternal life tech who’s in over his head, Harley Wallen himself as Sam, a thug hired out by Oliver to do his dirty work, Vida Ghaffari as scientist Nikita whose eternal life tech knowhow might hide a more overall unhinged manner, Mel Novak as Mr. Pomeroy, an old-school company exec who recalls the better days of the organization, Billy Wirth as Mark, Bridget’s steadfast husband caught in the middle of the unfolding events, and Scout Taylor-Compton as one of Sam’s “partners” Charlie, a woman with a seriously no-nonsense, and deeply frustrated, attitude.
Rounding out this huge ensemble is Shane Hagedorn as Carter, another of Sam’s enforcers, Calhoun Koenig as Miranda’s friend May who gets swept up in the proceedings, Kimberly Cruchon Brooks as scientist Sofia who has many reservations about the eternal tech and its uses Oliver has in mind, Angela Roberts Johnson and Whitney Wagner respectively as Stacey and Sidney, two of Stephanie’s working girl friends who get roped into events, plus Justin Mane and Denise Emilia Sandulescu as John and Joanna who play very brief but highly integral parts in the story’s conclusion. A host of other supporting players is present as well, far too many to mention here. So, with smooth visual flow, wealth of talents involved, and so much more potential waiting to be unlocked, “Eternal Code” stands firm in its indie roots, very evidently filled and created with a nucleus of artists who have passion, drive, and determination to provide the best they are capable of with the purpose of entertaining and gaining appreciation of filmgoing audiences. For this critic, while it may not have been a total winner for me, I can’t wait to see what comes next from these dedicated, stalwart performers and filmmakers.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
