How far would you go for the sake of the people you love? It is the question that feeds the science fiction film ‘Swan Song’, written and directed by Academy Award winner (Benjamin Cleary), starring two-time Academy Award winner (Mahershala Ali), nominees Naomie Harris (one nomination), Glenn Close (eight) and also Awkwafina, who is dry on statuettes of the Academy, however, is very good. The feature debuts on Apple TV + on Friday, December 17, and has been reviewed well, but not very well, by US critics.
Swan Song, all about the movie
The plot is set in the relatively near future. It tells of a man named Cameron who is happily married and the father of a family. One day he is diagnosed with an incurable disease: he has very little time left to live. At this point he receives a proposal from a company specializing in the creation of clones absolutely identical to the original: Cameron will have to hide his illness at home and let the clone replace him in secret, guaranteeing a continuity without jolts thanks to the fact that he has not only the same physical characteristics, but also the same memories and emotions. The decision is not at all simple, however, even in the face of the perfection of who should take his place.
‘Swan Song’ represents the long debut for the director and screenwriter Benjamin Cleary, which thanks to ‘Stutterer’ won the 2016 Oscar for best short film in live action. An authoritative precedent that allowed him to put together a very respectable cast: Mahershala Ali (‘Green Book’, ‘Moonlight’), Naomie Harris (also seen in ‘Moonlight’ and recent James Bond films), Glenn Close (‘Fatal Attraction’, ‘Dangerous Liaisons’) e Awkwafina (‘The Farewell’, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’).
The trailer in the original language
Reviews and how to watch the movie
In general, the US criticism was divided: there are those who have expressed convinced opinions and those who have been more doubtful. Net of the fact that the cast received unanimous appreciation, the bone of contention was above all the narrative trend of the film. Those who have written positive reviews have done so by claiming that it allows the deep and universal themes that feed the plot to emerge; those who have spoken ill of it say instead that ‘Swan Song’ turns a bit ‘in circles, revealing a substance less solid than hoped for.
That said, to see the feature film you have to take into account that lasts 1 hour and 52 minutes and which comes out in streaming on Apple TV + on December 17: subscribers can choose how and when to see it.
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