| "Surprisingly affecting and inspiring" |
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Able Edwards
DVD/APPROX. 85 MINS/2004/USA UNRATED
DVD/APPROX. 85 MINS/2004/USA UNRATED
9
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This movie has much distinction behind it, one for being reputed the first movie to be shot entirely behind a green screen and two. The movie’s title
and title character still have different names. Thought I had better point that out now before people thought I was making spelling mistakes as the
movie is titled ‘Able Edwards’ and the title character is ‘Abel Edwards’.
This movie breaks away slightly from a lot of cliché’s and norms yet retains a very classic theme of self awareness, identity and the need to prove
that one is more than what they appear.
Abel Edwards who appears to be a somewhat satirical look at the late great Walt Disney, was once an entertainment mogul with a penchant for
artistry and comical character creation and had bought about a golden age of media that was unsurpassed and deeply longed for after his
passing. He excelled at creating theme parks and bringing fictional things to a physical and real plane. To understand what I mean, think about a
man in a Mickey Mouse suit, the character is of course fictional, but he is being represented physically in the real plane.
Many years later it appears that Earth has become uninhabitable (yawn plot device but it serves its greater purpose well), and the last dregs of
humanity reside in orbital habitats circling our world, science has leaped forward immensely as has the creation of artificial intelligence. But the
world has become somber and boring for the majority of the populace leaving them with little to entertain them. In a desperate attempt to bring
back the glory days of media entertainment they decide to clone the legendary Abel Edwards, and bring him to the fore.
What comes next is the birth of the new Abel Edwards and rather channeled upbringing he has had in order to recreate even the personality of
the original as best as can be. When he has fully matured, and as it seems much like his namesake, he is handed the reigns of the media empire to
which birthed him, and proceeds to make his mark upon this new society eager to see what’s on offer. And although the Cloned Abel proceeds to
do pretty much the same as his namesake, although the originals work was fictional in a real world, this new Abel has taken the path to create
something real within an artificial one making him and his creations two sides of one coin, him the artificial, his creation the real.
Throughout the movie the character goes through some twists and turns, told in what appears to be some form of trial, yet doesn’t over
complicate things at all. Even though it’s obvious that Abel has a need to find his own sense of self, the movie doesn’t bring it fully to the
foreground like most movies, and hints at it for the most part.
The black and white visuals help to illuminate the lack of variety or uniqueness within this vastly false world that the movies populace inhabit. And
there also appears to be a subtle grain to the film which makes the film look a little dated, but since the movie is meant as a somewhat chronicle of
events passed, it does suit the right effect.
The journey of the main character is well played too, not lumbering itself with too many things going on, and taking a laid back approach to telling
what needs to be told in a simple way. Through his simple journey and portrayal, he also brings out the diabolical and cold personalities of those
around him.
The special features provide a rather interesting array of insight into this movie. Of course with such a flick there is the commentary track by the
Director and Producer of the film (Graham Robertson and Scott Bailey respectively), a Behind the scenes featurette, the Theatrical trailer (of
course), Green screen reveals (which show you a comparison between what was filmed against the green screen, and what was seen in the final
product, and also production notes.
Able Edwards is an excellent take on a tried and true circumstance, brought to the fore excellently throughout many aspects including its visual
appearance, sound and writing. If only more movies could aspire to this level of story telling and not just visual glitz. Able Edwards’ deserves no
less than 9/10 in my eyes.
and title character still have different names. Thought I had better point that out now before people thought I was making spelling mistakes as the
movie is titled ‘Able Edwards’ and the title character is ‘Abel Edwards’.
This movie breaks away slightly from a lot of cliché’s and norms yet retains a very classic theme of self awareness, identity and the need to prove
that one is more than what they appear.
Abel Edwards who appears to be a somewhat satirical look at the late great Walt Disney, was once an entertainment mogul with a penchant for
artistry and comical character creation and had bought about a golden age of media that was unsurpassed and deeply longed for after his
passing. He excelled at creating theme parks and bringing fictional things to a physical and real plane. To understand what I mean, think about a
man in a Mickey Mouse suit, the character is of course fictional, but he is being represented physically in the real plane.
Many years later it appears that Earth has become uninhabitable (yawn plot device but it serves its greater purpose well), and the last dregs of
humanity reside in orbital habitats circling our world, science has leaped forward immensely as has the creation of artificial intelligence. But the
world has become somber and boring for the majority of the populace leaving them with little to entertain them. In a desperate attempt to bring
back the glory days of media entertainment they decide to clone the legendary Abel Edwards, and bring him to the fore.
What comes next is the birth of the new Abel Edwards and rather channeled upbringing he has had in order to recreate even the personality of
the original as best as can be. When he has fully matured, and as it seems much like his namesake, he is handed the reigns of the media empire to
which birthed him, and proceeds to make his mark upon this new society eager to see what’s on offer. And although the Cloned Abel proceeds to
do pretty much the same as his namesake, although the originals work was fictional in a real world, this new Abel has taken the path to create
something real within an artificial one making him and his creations two sides of one coin, him the artificial, his creation the real.
Throughout the movie the character goes through some twists and turns, told in what appears to be some form of trial, yet doesn’t over
complicate things at all. Even though it’s obvious that Abel has a need to find his own sense of self, the movie doesn’t bring it fully to the
foreground like most movies, and hints at it for the most part.
The black and white visuals help to illuminate the lack of variety or uniqueness within this vastly false world that the movies populace inhabit. And
there also appears to be a subtle grain to the film which makes the film look a little dated, but since the movie is meant as a somewhat chronicle of
events passed, it does suit the right effect.
The journey of the main character is well played too, not lumbering itself with too many things going on, and taking a laid back approach to telling
what needs to be told in a simple way. Through his simple journey and portrayal, he also brings out the diabolical and cold personalities of those
around him.
The special features provide a rather interesting array of insight into this movie. Of course with such a flick there is the commentary track by the
Director and Producer of the film (Graham Robertson and Scott Bailey respectively), a Behind the scenes featurette, the Theatrical trailer (of
course), Green screen reveals (which show you a comparison between what was filmed against the green screen, and what was seen in the final
product, and also production notes.
Able Edwards is an excellent take on a tried and true circumstance, brought to the fore excellently throughout many aspects including its visual
appearance, sound and writing. If only more movies could aspire to this level of story telling and not just visual glitz. Able Edwards’ deserves no
less than 9/10 in my eyes.
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