Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) is on top of the financial world. The multi-billionaire makes snap decisions worth millions in a blink of an eye, then coughs blood into his elbow. He is suffering from terminal cancer.
Desperate, Hale sees a newspaper advertising a “shedding” process where a sickly body can transfer its mind into a healthy body. It is experimental and very expensive. Hale makes a deal.
The cancer ridden man is placed into one tube while the presumed recent corpse, Edward (Ryan Reynolds), is in an adjacent one. After a lot of Frankenstein-like shenanigans, the transfer takes place. The mind of Hale is in a very healthy body.
Of course, there is a problem. The process is not one hundred percent efficient. There are vestiges of the original mind. In order for Hale to maintain his transition, he must take periodically some red capsules to suppress these memories.
Once the new mind sees residual snippets of love, marriage, and family, the plot thickens. The maestro of the shedding process, Professor Albright (Matthew Goode) does not want any part of a regression.
Acting is excellent and the sci-fi transformation is intriguing. Car chases and other pursuit sequences are good.
The highly sophisticated transfer laboratory, however, looks like a travesty built in someone’s back yard.
Still, the creativity and acting wins “Self/less” a B grade.
Currently the film is showing at the Old Mill Playhouse in The Villages.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com
